Avatar Avengers Assemble
by MegaBob452
Summary: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Reborn in Republic City. New evils threaten the world, more than Team Avatar alone can handle. The Avengers rise to the challenge, protecting the peace and keeping balance in the world.
1. Iron Mako

_A/N: The idea for this story came from watching The Avengers, which is in my opinion the greatest movie ever made. After watching it I wondered if it could be possible for that superhero team to form in the world of Avatar. After coming up with Avatar Avengers Assemble for a story title, I just had to make it happen. In this story characters from Legend of Korra will be replacing the civilian identities of the superheroes, because those characters are already established and names like Tony Stark don't fit in the universe._

_I had originally written this chapter after the episode 'And The Winner Is...' but had to rewrite the beginning after 'The Aftermath' made my interpretation of the Sato family incorrect. For all intents and purposes, this is an AU after episode 7 since I have no idea what's coming after that point in canon.  
_

Chapter 1: Iron Mako

So much had changed so fast for Asami Sato. Her father had been caught red-handed supporting Amon, developing weapons of war for the Equalists. Asami didn't want to believe her father was capable of such treachery, but Hiroshi admitted his hatred for benders. In the underground factory, when all of her friends seemed defeat, Asami had considered joining her father in Amon's crusade. Instead she seized one of the electrical gloves the Equalists used and turned it against them, freeing her friends and getting them out safely.

Having chosen a side, Asami couldn't live at the Sato mansion anymore. Korra offered to let her stay at Air Temple Island along with Mako and Bolin, which Asami accepted. But simply living there wasn't enough for Asami, she wanted to fight back against the Equalists. They had to pay for betraying her trust in her father.

On remote corner of the island Asami set up her own workshop, away from the houses and airbending training grounds. Deconstructing the electrical glove she stole, Asami learned how it worked and how to construct new ones. Testing the glove's effects on various materials Asami experimented to find something that could be used for protection, and found that rubber was the most effective. Asami designed a modification to the armor metalbending police used, a layer of rubber beneath the metal to insulate them from electricity.

A week after moving in at the island, Asami took a satomobile and drove towards City Hall. She took Mako and Bolin with her, to demonstrate her prototype rubber suits to the Council. Korra and Tenzin were busy with something in the training grounds and Asami didn't want to disturb them. Behind the wheel Asami drove the satomobile with Mako in the passenger seat and Bolin in the back.

"Hey can we stop for a bite to eat?" Bolin asked, rubbing his belly. "I'm starving."

"Maybe after we get to City Hall," Asami said, driving towards an intersection. "I'd hate to stop and get the equipment stolen."

As if on cue a large van drove into the intersection just as Asami did, ramming into the satomobile. Both vehicles spun out of control, sliding into a collision with a nearby lamppost. Wearing seatbelts, everyone in the satomobile lived through the crash. Before anyone knew what hit them they heard motorcycle engines, and looking through broken windows Asami saw two dozen Equalists riding motorcycles towards the satomobile.

"Ambush!" Asami yelled.

The Equalists surrounded the crash and parked their motorcycles. Another van pulled into the intersection, more Equalists climbing out of the back. Several of the Equalists rushed to the satomobile and forced the doors open. One of them used a knife to cut through Asami's seatbelt and then yanked her out of the satomobile.

"Asami Sato, come with us."

Mako blasted fire at the Equalist, but one enemy on his side of the satomobile struck him with an electrical glove. Bolin unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the vehicle, bending stone disks out of the ground and attacking with them. Another Equalist with an electrical glove struck Bolin, paralyzing him in the shock. Mako was pulled out of the vehicle while Asami was struck by a chi blocker.

"Leave the earthbender, Amon wants Miss Sato," the first Equalist said. He looked at Mako, remembering that he was Asami's boyfriend. "Bring the firebender, he might prove useful."

Asami and Mako were thrown into the back of the second van. But before the van started driving away Mako heard a new fight happening outside, but couldn't see anything. Just a minute later the van sped away from the scene, driving away as fast as it could. The horn of a train sounded and then Mako felt bumps from crossing railroad tracks. Mako heard a loud crash, but then nothing for hours.

When the van stopped the back doors were opened and Equalists pulled Asami and Mako out of it. They were inside a large warehouse, people moving equipment and supplies in and out of other vans. Equalists forced Mako and Asami on their knees, holding them in place. A group of chi blockers approached, and at the front was Amon.

Only a few feet away, Amon studied his newest prisoners. "Asami Sato, I have a proposition for you."

"What do you want?" Asami asked.

"Your father has already helped my cause considerably, but his vision has limits." Amon said. "And I'm sure the knack for invention runs in the family."

"I'm not helping you," Asami said, glaring into the eyes of Amon's mask.

"Then why do I hear doubt in your voice?" Amon asked. He grabbed Asami's chin and looked into her eyes. "Deep down, you know I'm right. That your father made the right choice in joining my cause, that you should join as well."

"No," Asami said.

Amon let go of Asami, then stepped in front of Mako. "Not even if he pays the price?" Slowly Amon moved his hand towards Mako's forehead, threatening to take his bending away.

Mako glanced at Asami. "Don't worry about me."

Amon looked at Asami as his hand was only inches away from Mako. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."

"Stop!" Asami yelled. She looked down, ashamed of her weakness. "I'll do it."

"Asami no!" Mako yelled.

Amon pulled his hand away from Mako and faced Asami. With a snap of his fingers Amon ordered his men to release her, allowing Asami to stand. "My men will bring you to a workshop your father has already prepared."

* * *

For a week Asami was kept locked inside a workshop, where she was expected to design and build new weapons for the Equalists. They kept Mako in a cell, constantly under threat of having his bending removed to keep Asami in line. At first Mako hoped that Bolin and Korra would find him, but as the days passed no rescue came.

In the workshop Asami had free reign on what she could design, as long as she delivered new weapons. When she found schematics for the robots that Hiroshi had built, it inspired Asami to create her own version. While working on her new project Asami gave the Equalists energy-efficient versions of the electrical gloves, to keep them temporarily satisfied. Asami kept the project hidden behind a curtain, and when guards tried to pry into the matter Asami claimed it was for Amon's use only.

On one day Mako found himself being taken from the cell he was forced to live in and forced inside Asami's workshop. The guards had been told that Asami needed Mako to test a new device. When Mako arrived he saw Asami inside, as well as various tools and materials scattered everywhere. "Are you okay?" Mako asked.

"I'm fine, all things considered," Asami said. She waited for guards to close the door, then got close to Mako to whisper in his ear. "We're breaking out, today."

"What?" Mako blurted out.

"Over here," Asami said, walking over to a corner of the workshop. She grabbed a curtain hanging there and pulled it down.

Mako gasped as he saw a complete suit of armor, iron grey and bigger than he was. The only things Mako could compare it to were the robots Hiroshi made, but it was much smaller. "What is this, some kind of iron monger?"

"Iron mongers make metal, not wear it," Asami said. She squeezed a trigger below the armor's right shoulder, which made the chest open up and the helmet retract. "Get in."

"What?" Mako muttered.

"Trust me," Asami said. On a worktable she grabbed a small circular generator and installed it in the chest piece of the armor, powering the mechanisms inside. "This armor is impervious to chi blocking and provides some protection from electrical attacks. It also increases your strength tenfold."

Mako whistled, then started forcing his legs into the armor. "Why don't you use it?"

"These," Asami said. She lifted up one hand of the armor and placed her finger on a shining circle on the armor's palm. "I inverted the charge of the electrical gloves."

"And that means…?" Mako asked. He shoved his arms into the armor, and when his hands reached the ends he felt a slight tickle. "Am I supposed to feel something from these?"

"That's normal," Asami said. She closed the armor around Mako, including the helmet. "Try moving."

Mako flexed his arms, surprised that the metal armor wasn't impeding him. The eyes of the helmet didn't impede his vision, clearer than even the helmets used in the bending arena. He made a few jabs with his fists, still noticing the tingling feeling in his hands. "Now what exactly do these things do?" Mako asked, his voice seemed to sound metallic through the helmet.

Asami smiled. "I call them chi enhancers. Try firebending through them."

"Okay," Mako said. He turned away from Asami and thrust his open hand towards a wall. The motion was supposed to create a small fireball, but instead Mako got a fireblast bigger than he was. Fire struck the wall, the noise getting the attention of the guards outside.

The door burst open and a pair of Equalists entered, but hesitated when they saw the iron armor. Before they could say a word Mako firebended at them, sending a large stream of fire that burned both of the Equalists away. The noise from the larger firebending echoed through the building, alerting the rest of the Equalists.

"Oh boy, I think it's time to get out of here," Mako said. The armor was too heavy to run in, forcing Mako to walk out of the workshop into a hallway. Asami stayed behind him, using the armor as a shield.

More Equalists entered the hallway and tried to stop the escape. Most them fell as Mako fired larger than normal fireblasts, but a few managed to reach him. Equalists tried to use their electrical gloves on the armor, but he only felt a tickle as the armor absorbed most of the shock. Mako struck the closer Equalists with metal fists, tossing them into the walls.

At the end of the hallway was a door that opened into a brightly lit warehouse, filled with workers loading equipment and supplies into trucks. When the door burst open and the iron armor walked in the workers scattered, leaving the fighting to Equalists that had been overseeing the workplace. One of the Equalists threw a gas grenade, spewing green smoke around Mako. The rest tried to attack in the smoke, but random swings of his arm were enough for Mako to bat them aside.

Once the smoke dissipated Asami ran out from behind Mako, heading for one of the vans in the warehouse. "Come on!" Asami yelled.

"Stop!"

Asami and Mako turned to find Hiroshi standing next to one of the vans. "Dad?"

"I can't let you leave," Hiroshi said, wielding a pair of electrical gloves.

Mako aimed his hands at Hiroshi. "Are you really going to hurt your own daughter?"

Hiroshi hesitated, slightly lowering his arms. "He'll kill me if you escape."

"Then come with us," Asami begged.

Hiroshi looked away, reluctant to fight family. But before he could make up his mind he saw Amon's chief lieutenant leap out from behind a van. "Look out!" he yelled, seeing the lieutenant swinging his electrified kali sticks at Asami. Hiroshi ran to Asami and pushed her out of the way, and the lieutenant's weapons struck his back.

"Dad!" Asami yelled.

Mako opened fire on the lieutenant, but he leaped out of the way. Shooting fire again and again Mako tried to hit the lieutenant, but he dodged far too quickly. The lieutenant leaped again and got behind Mako, then jammed the kali sticks into the armor's back. Enough of the electricity penetrated the armor to make Mako groan in pain. One armored arm reached behind Mako's back, grabbing the lieutenant's arms and threw him across the warehouse and into a wall.

At Hiroshi's side, Asami tried to pick him up. "Don't die on me," Asami begged, trying to drag him towards the warehouse doors.

"I'm sorry," Hiroshi muttered. His heart stopped beating, and his breath stopped with it. His body went limp, the sudden dead weight forcing Asami to drop him.

"Dad, no!" Asami screamed.

"We have to leave now!" Mako yelled. He aimed his hands at the warehouse doors and blasted them open, letting sunlight shine in the warehouse.

For just a moment Asami didn't care about anything, her world was falling apart. Now both of her parents were gone. But simply giving up wouldn't change that. She stood up and faced Mako. "That armor's too heavy to carry in these vans."

"I have an idea, hold onto the back of this thing," Mako suggested. He walked outside the warehouse and Asami climbed onto the armor's back. When Asami was holding on with her arms around the helmet Mako aimed his hands down. "Hang on!" Mako put everything he could into fireblasts straight down, launching himself and Asami into the air. They soared over nearby buildings, crossing several streets before gravity started bringing them back down.

"Not good not good!" Asami yelled, scared that the fall would kill them.

Mako adjusted the aim of his fire, trying to fight the pull of gravity. The effort slowed the descent and allowed Mako to slightly steer towards a building far from the warehouse. They crashed into the roof of a five story building, Asami tumbling onto the roof while Mako plunged through it. The armor crashed through one floor after another, each slightly slowing him down until he crashed into the bottom.

Wondering if any of her bones were broken, Asami slowly got to her feet. She looked through the hole in the roof, seeing Mako at the bottom. "Are you okay?" Asami asked.

The armor Mako wore was coming apart, and he pulled the helmet off his head. "I'll be feeling this tomorrow," Mako muttered. He tried to stand, but sore muscles and damaged armor kept him pinned to the floor. "Little help please."

Asami entered the building through a door on the roof, then climbed down stairs to reach the bottom. When she got there she started prying pieces of the armor off Mako, trying to get him out of it as quickly as possible. Only the armor's gauntlets and the chest generator were salvageable, the rest had been wrecked in the crash. Mako felt like his sores had sores, but would live.

* * *

Welcomed back to Air Temple Island, Mako and Asami recuperated from their experience. Korra personally healed Mako's injuries from the fall, glad to have him back on the island safe and sound. During the recovery Asami only thought about getting payback against the Equalists, and that her design was the perfect tool for the job. But the suit of armor had to be upgraded, and Asami spent every waking moment working on a new version.

Two weeks after escaping from the warehouse, Asami finished the new version of the armor. During that time Mako experimented with sustained firebending, trying to use it to fly. On Avatar Aang Memorial Island Mako and Asami were ready to test the new armor. This time the armor was sleek and formfitting, making Mako only appear slightly bigger than a normal person. Most of the armor was red with gold for the face, and the bright circle generator in the chest.

"Is it ready?" Mako asked.

"One moment," Asami said. She screwed the last piece of the armor's back into place. "How does it feel?"

Mako made several jabs and a few hops, finding no resistance from the armor. He thrust one open palm forward, creating a large blast of fire. "I see you kept the chi enhancers."

"There's a pair on the feet as well," Asami said. She walked over to a table with a radio on it. She turned it on and dialed in a seldom used radio frequency. Leaning close to the radio's microphone Asami whispered "Can you hear me?"

Hearing the sound through a miniature radio built into the armor, Mako nodded. "Loud and clear," he said, hearing the words come out of Asami's radio as well.

"Then you're ready for takeoff," Asami said.

"Okay," Mako said. He made a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself before trying to fly. Then he thrust his hands down, blasting fire down with his hands and feet. Powerful flames pushed Mako into the air, soaring across the city sky. Mako screamed with excitement as he flew, using his feet for thrust and his hands to stabilize the flight.

"_Is everything working?" _Asami asked through the radio.

"Excellent!" Mako yelled, enjoying the rush of fast flight. He crossed the bay and turned towards City Hall, flying faster than a speeding satomobile and scaring people in the streets below. For a minute Mako cackled like a child after a prank. "Yes!"

Suddenly a siren blared nearby, louder than even the roar of Mako's flames. "This Is The Police! Unidentified Flier You Will Land Immediately!"

Turning in the air Mako saw a police airship heading towards him. Instead of landing Mako flew straight at the airship, and when he got close he flew around it. Mako caught a glimpse of metalbenders trying to fire cables to catch him, but he was flying too fast for them. Within seconds Mako was behind the airship, and it would take several minutes just to turn around and pursue.

"This is awesome!" Mako yelled, laughing like a maniac. He wondered if flying was like this for airbenders, though they used currents of air instead of sheer thrust. "Korra's going to be so jealous!"

Looking down Mako saw that he was flying over the industrial district of Republic City, where an Equalist base was rumored to be located. There was a crowd being herded through the streets by armed Equalists, to where Mako didn't know. He flew lower and in between buildings that lined the street, and then landed in front of the crowd and Equalists.

"Who wants some?" Mako asked, raising his fists.

At first the Equalists didn't know what to make of Mako. They only saw a red metal man that had dropped out of the sky. One chi blocker leaped at Mako and tried to hit his pressure points, but the chi blocker's hands only hit unyielding metal. Mako backhanded the chi blocker, taking him out in one hit. Another Equalist tried to attack with an electrified glove, but Mako caught the attacker's wrist in one hand, and then threw him into the downed chi blocker.

"Next!" Mako yelled, beckoning for more Equalists to try fighting.

One Equalist threw a smoke bomb at Mako, which he caught in his hands. The bomb went off anyway and spewed green smoke into a cloud around Mako. Three Equalists rushed in to strike, but were blasted back out with massive flames. The smoke dispersed and Mako started firing on every Equalist he could find, stopping when those who could still run fled.

Mako stepped up to the chi blocker he had brought down first and picked him up by his shirt. "I have a message for your boss," Mako said, making sure the chi blocker was conscious enough to hear him. "Tell Amon that… _Iron Man_… will hunt him down." He let go of the chi blocker and took flight, heading back to Avatar Aang Memorial Island.

On arrival Mako landed in between the feet of the statue of Avatar Aang. Asami started taking the armor off Mako, putting the pieces into cases to take back to Air Temple Island. They took a ferry back to the island, and once they arrived they entered Tenzin's home. In the living room during midafternoon Mako and Asami listened to a radio. Mako wanted to see how the news broadcasts would react to Iron Man before putting the armor back on again, and he was not disappointed.

"_This just in! Chaos turns to order as an Equalist round up is quashed by a mysterious hero clad in iron. Newly installed Chief of Police Saikhan disavows any connections to this renegade enforcer of justice, despite the fact that he could really use the help. Eye witnesses claim this 'Iron Man' is an extremely powerful firebender, the likes of which have not been seen since the last visit of Sozin's Comet. The City Council has yet to convene on whether Iron Man should be allowed to independently fight the Equalists or to incorporate him into the official fight against Amon…"_

Sudden static interrupted the broadcast, drowning out the news report. Mako and Asami leaned closer to the radio, fearing that they knew who was interrupting. Sure enough, the voice that spoke next was all too familiar.

"_I hope you're listening Iron Man, this is Amon. I received your threat, and I am not impressed. It will take far more than a shiny suit and flashy flames to discourage my growing army. But in the interest of fairness, I will give you one opportunity to strike a crippling blow. Come to the place where Hiroshi Sato met an untimely demise, tonight."_

Static screeched and the news broadcast resumed. Mako wasn't listening anymore, planning to put the armor back on immediately. Asami saw him leaving and followed, grabbing his arm and trying to stop him. "It has to be a trap," Asami said.

"Of course it is," Mako said. He pulled his arm free and held onto Asami's shoulders. "But if there's a chance that I can end this now, I have to take it."

Asami sighed, then looked into Mako's eyes. "Just promise me you'll come back."

* * *

In half an hour Mako was suited up and in the air, flying across Republic City. The flames he flew with left a clear trail for the police, if they chose to follow. Just before sunset Mako landed in the street outside the warehouse Hiroshi had died in. The large doors had been repaired since the escape, but Mako immediately blasted them open again. Inside the warehouse was dark and Mako walked inside with a flame in his hand for light.

"I'm here!" Mako shouted.

The wall to Mako's left exploded as a thirty foot tall robot burst through it, larger than the ones Hiroshi designed and more human shaped. Long strides brought it to Mako in seconds and it swung a massive arm, striking Mako and tossing him across the warehouse. He slammed into a wall and fell to the floor, slightly disoriented by the blow.

Lights on the ceiling lit up the warehouse, giving Mako a clear view of the giant machine. It appeared to be a scaled up version of the prototype armor Asami designed, the chest alone big enough to hold a person inside. The head seemed far too small for the body, only twice the size of Mako's helmet. Internal mechanisms screeched as the machine moved, taking large steps towards Mako. Up close the machine tried to punch Mako, but cracked the floor when Mako rolled out of the way.

Mako blasted fire into the golem's chest, but the flames didn't stop it from smacking Mako with a free arm. He tumbled across the warehouse and the golem pursued, raising its massive fist for another strike. Mako blasted fire into the floor to take flight, almost getting above the golem before it grabbed his right leg with its left hand. The golem slammed Mako back into the floor, lifted him up and slammed him down again and again.

After the fifth impact with the floor Mako blasted fire at the wrist of the arm that held him, slipping fire through a gap in the golem's metal shell at the joint. The hand released Mako, but before he could move away the golem's foot stepped on his chest. Gradually the golem put its weight on top of Mako, slowly crushing him in the armor.

"Impressed?" a voice asked from inside the golem. Mako recognized it as Amon's lieutenant.

"No," Mako answered. He shot flames up into the golem's hip, right between the legs. While the flames scorched and slightly warped the metal, the heat flooded into the chest above.

Unable to withstand the heat, the lieutenant inside instinctively made the golem step backward. The golem raised its left fist and brought it down at Mako, but he rolled out of the way. Swinging the left arm, the golem hit Mako and sent him tumbling across the warehouse. Still hot inside the golem, the lieutenant pulled a lever that made the helmet retract and the chest open.

"I see Miss Sato upgraded your armor?" the lieutenant asked, trying to stall long enough for his golem to cool down. "She clearly went for style over substance."

Looking at his opponent Mako tried to come up with a plan. The chest of his armor was dented inward and squeezing him. The right leg was damaged and its chi enhancer broken, limiting Mako's ability to fly. "Can your design do this?" Mako asked. With both hands and one good leg Mako blasted into the air, arcing through the warehouse.

Pulling the lever again, the lieutenant made the golem's chest close. He tried to strike Mako, but he blasted down and flew just high enough to dodge a metal fist. Mako landed on the golem's back and started punching it repeatedly, denting a hole in the back. Large arms tried to grab Mako, but they were too bulky to reach the back.

Once he had made a hole big enough for both his hands to fit, Mako gripped with both hands and started pulling them apart. Using augmented strength in the suit Mako peeled the back of the golem open, exposing the inside of the golem. Inside the lieutenant twisted in his seat and drew an electrified kali stick, then stuck it out the hole and into Mako's chest. Groaning as the shock penetrated the damaged armor, Mako let go of the golem and fell to the floor.

Back at the controls the lieutenant made the golem kick Mako across the warehouse, slamming into a wall. Then he adjusted a few small levers and switches inside, and the golem's palms retracted into the hands. Large iron rods slid out and the hands gripped onto them, resembling a pair of scaled up kali sticks. A generator inside charged the large weapons, and inside the golem the lieutenant grinned.

"This is not going to end well," Mako muttered.

The golem charged at Mako, swinging the weapons at his head. Mako tried to get out of the way, but the electrified weapons still struck his side and slammed him into the wall again. Rolling in between the golem's legs Mako got behind it, but the golem's waist spun around and it plunged one electrified kali stick into Mako's right leg. The shock made Mako scream as it fried the armor on his leg, locking the metal in place.

Even as his leg felt like it was on fire, Mako twisted his body around and blasted the golem with fire. Feeling the heat inside the golem the lieutenant made it back away again, giving Mako a moment to breathe. Blasting the ground with his hands Mako soared onto the golem's right shoulder, and then stared blasting fire into the joint.

"_Mako, get that tin butt of yours back here right now!"_

Despite fighting for his life, Mako took just enough time to respond to Asami. "I'm kind of busy here!"

Still blasting fire and ignoring the heat, Mako put as much as he can into the effort. Metal screamed as the shoulder warped and softened, while the arm attached to it stopped responding to the controls inside and hung limp. Both oversized kali sticks were still electrified, and the one in the golem's left arm swung at Mako to get him off. At the last second Mako stopped firebending and let go, falling to the floor as the golem struck its own shoulder. The blow smashed through the warped metal, shocking the lieutenant inside.

After painfully making the golem remove the kali stick from the damaged shoulder, the lieutenant tried to operate the left arm. The mechanisms connecting the arm to the controls had been severed by the damage, rendering the entire arm dead weight. But the large kali stick attached to it was still electrified, the power lines still intact.

Mako smiled, seeing an opportunity. He tore off the locked metal on his right leg to free it, screaming in pain the whole time. Getting up Mako blasted fire down with both feet, getting a larger flame from the still armored left leg than he did with his right. Ramming into the limp arm of the golem at the wrist, Mako put the weight of it on his hands while blasting fire with his feet.

With the still functioning arm the golem swung its weapon at Mako. Just before the strike could hit Mako aimed his right hand down and blasted fire, lifting him and the limp arm out of the way. The limp arm bent at the elbow and the electrified kali stick moved higher, aiming the danger against the golem. Needing more thrust to move the arm further, Mako put the weight of it on his shoulders to blast fire with every limb. The damaged shoulder turned with the force, spinning the arm and plunging the charged weapon into the hole in the golem's back.

The electrified kali stick broke into the back of the golem, tearing through metal and sending electricity throughout the entire machine. It pinned the lieutenant to the inside of the chest, crushing him in addition to electrocution. Sparks flew out of every joint of the golem, until the damaged shoulder snapped and severed the electric current. Smoke rose out of the golem, the machine completely lifeless.

On the ground beside the broken off arm, Mako considered just lying there for a while. The damaged armor squeezing his chest was still painful, so Mako grabbed the armor and pulled until he had enough breathing room. For a moment Mako wondered if more Equalists were coming to finish the job, but none came. Just a few moments later Mako heard footsteps from outside the warehouse, and he turned his head to see Lin Bei Fong entering the warehouse

Mako couldn't help but chuckle a little. "You missed the party."

Lin Bei Fong glared at Mako, wondering whether to congratulate him or interrogate him. "Just who do you think you are?"

Mako grabbed the front of his helmet and pried the face off. "I am Iron Man."

Suddenly a distant roar sounded through the warehouse, getting Lin's attention. "Oh no…"

"What is it?" Mako asked.

Lin gazed out of the warehouse, worried for the people of her city. "It's The Hulk."

_A/N: I normally try to avoid asking for reviews, but for this story I really want to know what everyone thinks about it._


	2. The Incredible Bolin

_A/N: This installment takes place during the same time frame as the previous chapter, from a different perspective._

Chapter 2: The Incredible Bolin

On the day after moving to Air Temple Island, Bolin was out looking for work. While Tenzin and his family were quite charitable with their home, Bolin wanted to earn his keep. With the arena shut down Bolin's career as a pro-bending player was effectively over. He needed a new line of work just in case he ended up on the streets again, which were more dangerous than ever.

One place that was constantly hiring new workers was the power plant, always growing to feed electricity to an ever expanding city. Firebenders like Mako got the best pay, generating lightning directly into the power grid. Waterbenders were next in the pecking order, spinning turbines to generate hydroelectric power. Earthbenders were used mainly in construction of new facilities, creating the foundations to expand the power plant structures.

Dozens of new workers were hired at the same time as Bolin, and were split into three groups. Firebenders were in Alpha group, Waterbenders in Beta group, and Earthbenders in Gamma group. Bolin's group stayed outside and was given a tour of the plant's property, in particular a lot adjacent to the plant where they would be working construction. While the grounds beside the plant were empty, overhead many power lines crossed the area.

At the head of the group a balding man addressed the group. "While this area may seem like nothing now, you will all be building the largest expansion of the power plant since its creation half a century ago. Are there any questions before we continue?"

Bolin raised his hand. "What's that?" He pointed to a five story tall and twenty foot wide metal cylinder at the end of the lot next to the power plant, connected to many of the power lines and seemed to hum with energy.

"Ah that," the group leader said. "It is our electrical surge moderator. Think of it as a giant battery, storing excess electricity when use of the grid is low and distributing it when use is high. With that device a balance is maintained with the city's power supply, without it blackouts and surges would be far too common."

Suddenly the roar of several engines emerged, getting the attention of the entire group. They saw a dozen motorcycles drive onto the lot, heading towards the plant. All of the riders wore masks, some of which identified them as chi blockers. They drove past the group and headed straight for the surge moderator at the end of the lot.

"Stop them!" the group leader yelled, already earthbending a pit in front of the motorcycles.

With the other earthbenders Bolin started bending rock projectiles at the intruders. Half of the motorcycles broke off from the rest, driving towards the threat. Chi blockers leaped off their motorcycles and into the group, striking the pressure points of each earthbender one at a time. Bolin took out one chi blocker with a rock disk to the head, but saw several of his fellow benders fall.

Six Equalists still on their motorcycles reached the surge moderator, parking next to it. Each of them carried a large package on their backs, which they unwrapped to reveal various components. The six pieces were assembled into a single star shaped device and placed at the base of the moderator. One Equalist pressed a button on the device, starting a mechanical clock on it that counted down. The clock started at two minutes, which the Equalists planned to use to get as far away as possible

The chi blockers saw their associates speeding away, having accomplished their task. They stopped fighting the earthbenders, of which only Bolin and three others were still standing. Getting back on their motorcycles the chi blockers drove away, leaving Bolin wondering why they were leaving. The device's clock showed one minute.

Bolin looked at the device, seeing the countdown on it getting closer to zero. "Bomb!" he yelled. He started bending a wide shield of rock to protect himself and the paralyzed earthbenders, getting it in place just before the countdown hit zero.

The bomb exploded, severely damaging the surge moderator. The electricity inside the damaged device destabilized, making the entire five story object explode. Energy rippled through the area for miles, frying power lines and damaging every structure within several city blocks. Chaos reigned in the area surrounding the power plant, and some eye witnesses could swear they saw a small mushroom shaped cloud rising.

During the explosion Bolin's rock wall collapsed immediately, blown to bits by the sheer force. Energy rippled through his body, feeling like he was being torn apart. It seemed like anger and rage at the Equalists responsible were the only things keeping him alive, giving him the strength needed to survive. Bolin blacked out, but survived to live another day.

* * *

"Hey can we stop for a bite to eat?" Bolin asked, rubbing his belly. "I'm starving."

Bolin was riding in the back of a satomobile nearly a week after the attack on the power plant. Asami was driving towards City Hall, and Mako was in the passenger seat. They were going to demonstrate something Asami had invented, though Bolin didn't really care about what it was. He only went with because he wanted to get off the island for a while.

"Maybe after we get to City Hall," Asami said, driving towards an intersection. "I'd hate to stop and get the equipment stolen."

As if on cue a large van drove into the intersection just as Asami did, ramming into the satomobile. Both vehicles spun out of control, sliding into a collision with a nearby lamppost. Wearing seatbelts, everyone in the satomobile lived through the crash. Before anyone knew what hit them they heard motorcycle engines, and looking through broken windows Asami saw two dozen Equalists riding motorcycles towards the satomobile.

"Ambush!" Asami yelled.

The Equalists surrounded the crash and parked their motorcycles. Another van pulled into the intersection, more Equalists climbing out of the back. Several of the Equalists rushed to the satomobile and forced the doors open. One of them used a knife to cut through Asami's seatbelt and then yanked her out of the satomobile.

"Asami Sato, come with us."

Mako blasted fire at the Equalist, but one enemy on his side of the satomobile struck him with an electrical glove. Bolin unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the vehicle, bending stone disks out of the ground and attacking with them. Another Equalist with an electrical glove struck Bolin, paralyzing him in the shock. Mako was pulled out of the vehicle while Asami was struck by a chi blocker.

"Leave the earthbender, Amon wants Miss Sato," the first Equalist said. He looked at Mako, remembering that he was Asami's boyfriend. "Bring the firebender, he might prove useful."

Bolin groaned as he saw the Equalists take Mako and Asami and throw them into the back of the van. Rage boiled in him, getting angrier than he had ever been in his life. Bolin's body began to grow, nearly tripling in size with bulging muscles. His shirt was torn to shreds and his skin turned green, while a single minded personality replaced Bolin's.

The closest Equalist gasped during the transformation. "What The F-!"

A giant green fist interrupted the Equalist, punching him into the ground. The monstrosity of a man stood tall with the corpse in hand, throwing it at another Equalist. Chi blockers tried to strike, but were batted away like paper dolls. One Equalist stole a parked satomobile and drove straight at the green giant, ramming his legs. The impact only pushed him back a foot, and then he grabbed both front wheels in green hands.

"Hulk _Smash!_"

The Hulk squeezed the front of the satomobile together, crushing the front axle and popping the tires. He lifted the entire vehicle up into the air, prompting the Equalist inside to jump out of it. Swinging the satomobile like a club Hulk smashed every Equalist he could reach, until those still alive scrambled to get away on motorcycles. The satomobile was compacted in the strikes, and Hulk threw the ruined vehicle at fleeing Equalists and crushing several of them.

Screeching tires caught Hulk's attention, and he turned to see the van holding Mako and Asami speeding away. With long strides Hulk chased the fleeing vehicle, keeping pace with it. The driver saw Hulk in the rearview mirror, and pushed the gas pedal to the floor. At first the van pulled ahead, but then Hulk started making large leaps that kept the pace. The driver feared for his life until he heard the horn of a train nearby.

At a railroad crossing the van drove across the tracks. One of Hulk's long leaps landed right on the rails, right when a speeding train reached the crossing. The train slammed into Hulk, compacting the front compartment while sheer momentum pushed Hulk down half a mile of railroad track. When the train stopped Hulk pulled himself out of the wreckage, and the rest of the train was derailed off the tracks. Hulk looked around for the van he had been chasing, but it was nowhere in sight. He roared at the top of his lungs, scaring civilians for miles.

* * *

In the morning Bolin woke up in the middle of Republic City Park, wondering how in the world he got there. His shirt was missing and his pants were tattered, just barely keeping him decent. He was next to the river that flowed through the park, beside one of the many decorative bushes that grew nearby. Bolin looked around and scratched his head, and then checked his sides to make sure he still had both kidneys.

"Hey there large fella," a stranger's voice said.

Turning towards the stranger, Bolin saw a homeless man in ragged brown clothes peeking from inside a bush. Bolin gasped and dived into the river, trying to avoid being seen with barely anything on. His head poked out of the water, staring at the stranger. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," the stranger answered. "Come out of there before you freeze."

Reluctantly Bolin crawled out of the water, looking in every direction for anyone else that might see him. Crawling into the same bush as the stranger, it seemed oddly bigger on the inside. "Nice bush."

"Thank you," the stranger said. "So, how long have you known the other guy?"

"Other guy?" Bolin questioned.

"Big guy, green skin, awful temper," the stranger described. He laughed for a moment. "He went on quite a rampage before coming here and shrinking down to size."

"Right…" Bolin said, having no idea what the stranger was referring to. "I really should be getting home now."

"Not dressed like that," the stranger said. He dug into the ground with his hands and unearthed an old brown vest. "This looks to be your size, right now anyway."

Bolin accepted the vest, noticing that it smelled awful. Despite the smell he put it on anyway, silently vowing to burn it after he cleaned up and got fresh clothes on. "Well thanks."

"See you later, Mr. Incredible."

Still confused by the stranger's references, Bolin crawled out of the bush and started walking away. On his way out of the park nearby people gave him odd looks. Bolin ignored them and didn't stop walking for anything, wanting to get back to Air Temple Island without incident. He didn't feel safe until he reached the ferry to the island, glad to be off the streets.

The second Bolin stepped onto the pier on the island shore he heard all three of Tenzin's kids shouting and running at him. All three of them tackled Bolin and once, knocking him onto his back. "Bolin's back, Bolin's back," they all said.

"Miss me?" Bolin asked.

Jinora helped Bolin get back up. "What happened out there?"

Ikki sniffed the vest Bolin wore. "Why do you stink?"

Meelo clung to Bolin's leg. "You need a bath."

"Yes, yes I do," Bolin said.

Bolin and the kids walked up to Tenzin's home, and immediately on arrival Bolin threw the dirty vest in the fireplace and watched it burn. Next he took a bath in the house, scrubbing the stink off his skin for what seemed like hours. When he finished Bolin put on fresh clothes and looked around the house for Mako, but he wasn't there. Bolin only found Pema in the living room, resting on a couch with her hand feeling for the baby she carried.

"Hey Pema, have you seen Mako anywhere?" Bolin asked, standing next to Pema.

"No, and Asami's missing too," Pema answered. "You don't think something's happened to them?"

Thinking back Bolin remembered the ambush in the satomobile, but he had blacked out before seeing the outcome. Since he had gotten away unharmed, Bolin had assumed the same was true for Mako and Asami. "I'd better go look for them, who knows what trouble those two can get into."

"Maybe you should wait for Korra?" Pema suggested. "I'm sure she'll want to help when she wakes."

"But it's the middle of the day?" Bolin questioned. "What could have tired her out?"

"She got hit pretty hard during airbending lessons yesterday," Pema answered. "But she'll be fine."

For a moment Bolin considered waiting for Korra before searching for his brother, but if something had happened every minute counted. "We'll cover more ground if we search separately," Bolin reasoned.

After taking another ferry back to the mainland Bolin retraced his steps. Following the road Asami had taken in the satomobile Bolin walked until a police blockade was in his way. Metalbenders surrounded the scene of the crash, but even with them obscuring the sight Bolin could still see wrecked vehicles and cloth covered bodies.

One cop saw that Bolin wasn't leaving. "Move along sir, nothing to see here."

"Officer, my brother and my friend went missing here," Bolin pleaded. "There were some Equalists…"

"Boy, right now we have a bigger problem than Equalists," the cop interrupted. "Move along before you get hurt."

"What could possibly be worse than Equalists?" Bolin asked.

"Move along!"

"Fine!" Bolin shouted.

Bolin left the scene and continued his search elsewhere. He checked all of the old hangouts he and Mako used to use, but found nothing. Days passed and Bolin found no sign of Mako, no matter where he looked. He even checked the ruined bending arena and the power plant, but got turned away by officers at both places.

Nearly a week after the incident Bolin was checking the outskirts of Republic City, near the industrial district. It was a remote corner of Triple Threat Triad territory, and Bolin wanted to ask an old associate for any information the gang might have. By midday Bolin saw one of the gang's fancy satomobiles driving down the street and it parked in front of him.

"Hey Tobin," Bolin said, recognizing a bull-ram hood ornament on the satomobile. "I've been… looking…"

Instead of familiar faces, three large thugs and a woman with short black hair stepped out of the satomobile. They all wore deep red clothes with gold trim and a blue patch resembling a flame over the heart, the gang colors of the Agni Kai Triad. That gang only recruited firebenders, with preference to ones of pure Fire Nation descent. Years ago the Agni Kais had approached Mako on the streets, but rejected him when they learned about Bolin's earthbending.

"Well what do we have here?" one thug asked, cracking his knuckles. "A lone street rat who thinks this is still Triple Threat territory."

"They don't have much left," the woman with the thugs said, flexing her fingers that made sparks in her hand. She stepped closer to Bolin, inspecting him like a piece of meat. "All the Triads took pieces out of the Triple Threats after Lightning Bolt Zolt lost his bending."

Bolin gulped, wondering how he was going to get out of this blunder. "Good for them, never liked Zolt anyway. Carry on with the turf war, don't let me keep you." He slightly turned away, but kept his eyes on the woman. "I'll just let myself out."

Red flamed with a hint of blue blasted past Bolin, nearly an inch from his skin. "Nice try," the woman said. "Hand over your Yuans."

"Um…" Bolin muttered. "I really don't have any money on me."

Immediately the woman blasted fire at Bolin, scoring a direct hit. She was surprised to find Bolin still standing, though with severe burns. Pain in Bolin's body turned to rage, groaning as his muscles started to grow. The simpleminded personality took over as Bolin's body doubled in size, his skin turning green and the burns healing in seconds.

"Holy S-!"

The Hulk's mighty roar drowned out the woman's voice, shattering windows of nearby buildings. He grabbed the woman's leg and threw her into the sky, vanishing in the heavens. The Agni Kai thugs ran back into the satomobile, the driver shifting into reverse and slamming his foot on the gas pedal. The tires screeched against pavement as Hulk grabbed the front of the satomobile, holding it in place while he pulled back a fist.

"Hulk MAD!"

A single punch from Hulk's green fist smashed through the windshield, through the driver, through the seat, and into the thug in the backseat. The third and final thug bailed out of the passenger seat and ran for the nearest building. Hulk threw the vehicle down the street several blocks where it crushed another parked satomobile. Hearing the thug running for his life, Hulk turned and pursued with long strides.

Running through an open door the thug thought he would be safe, as the Hulk was too large to fit. Instead the entire front wall crumbled as Hulk's wide frame broke through it. Charging through the building Hulk ran over the thug, breaking down wall after wall until he entered a bar. Inside the bar was filled with members of the Agni Kai Triad, some of which were drunk.

"Burn It!"

Dozens of gang members all threw fireblasts at Hulk at once, creating an inferno around Hulk's upper half. It only made Hulk madder, charging out of the inferno and slamming three men through a wall at once. Then he ripped a pair of tables off the floor and threw them at more people, breaking bones loud enough for everyone to hear. One firebender screamed as Hulk threw him into the ceiling, the resulting corpse breaking through to the next floor. Five firebenders with their backs to a wall started generating lightning, firing it at Hulk simultaneously. The lightning struck Hulk and flooded his body with electricity, but it only got him to roar loud enough to make the walls shake.

Hulk raised both fists up and then slammed them into the floor, strength amplified earthbending sent a shockwave through the entire building, breaking pieces off everywhere and shattering the foundations. The structure stated to collapse as a crater formed beneath it, spreading panic everywhere. Gang members still inside met their demise as the collapse crushed them. Only rubble remained where the building used to be, and the Hulk burst out of the rubble to rampage elsewhere.

* * *

In the morning Bolin woke up in the middle of Republic City Park, wondering how he got there this time. Once again his shirt was missing and his pants were tattered, only this time there were burns on the ruined pants as well. Bolin looked around for the homeless stranger he met before, but there was nobody nearby. For modesty's sake Bolin bent some earth onto his body to make temporary clothes, hoping it would last just long enough to make it back to Air Temple Island.

Just barely making it back with his dignity intact, Bolin immediately bathed and put fresh clothes on. He had just gotten out of the bathroom when he bumped into his brother. "Mako! You're Back!" Bolin yelled, squeezing Mako in a bear hug.

"Ow, Ow, watch the ribs," Mako complained, trying to get Bolin to let go.

"Sorry," Bolin said, letting go of Mako. Then Bolin noticed the bruises on Mako. "What happened to you?"

"Equalists kidnapped me and Asami," Mako answered. "But we got away on our own."

"Nice," Bolin said. "How'd you do it?"

"Oh you'll see," Mako answered. "It might be a while though, I need to help Asami with it."

"Just be sure to see Korra first," Bolin suggested. "You look like you need her or a hospital, and Korra's closer."

With family and friends back together on Air Temple Island, Bolin decided to relax for a while. He didn't want another incident and end up half naked in the park again. At night he had strange dreams that involved beating up anyone that had ever wronged him or Mako, more than once getting to pummel Amon. The dreams were exciting and terrifying at the same time, liking the feeling of being powerful but despising how it seemed like real people were getting killed.

On a boring day two weeks after the last black out Bolin sat down in the living room of Tenzin's home. He turned on the radio to listen to music and the morning news. Bolin was passing the time until the next ferry to Avatar Aang Memorial Island, as he had missed the one Mako and Asami used to get there earlier.

Pema walked into the living room and sat down on a couch. "The baby's kicking again," Pema said, her fingers on her belly.

"When do you expect the birth?" Bolin asked.

"About a month," Pema answered. She paused for a moment, feeling another kick inside. "But I'm not sure if he or she wants to wait that long."

"Do you think the baby's a boy or a girl?" Bolin asked.

"I really don't know," Pema answered. She laughed a bit. "I guessed wrong on all the other kids anyway." Another kick brought a smile to her face. "Do you want to feel the baby?"

"Sure," Bolin said. He got up and walked over to Pema, letting her guide his hand to the baby. After only a few seconds he felt a little kick, smiling with joy. "Well I don't know anything about babies, but I think this one is going to be a strong little guy."

Bolin took his hand away and walked over to the radio, turning the dial to the news station Pema liked to listen to. Ever since the destruction of the bending arena most stories had been about Equalist strikes, followed closely by reports on turf wars between the various Triads. But one particular story seemed to be pulled right from the tabloids, only eyewitness accounts kept it on the radio.

"_The Agni Kai Triad continues to shrink as gang violence erodes their powerbase. Ever since their new headquarters was destroyed by a humongous brute, the other Triads smelled blood in the water and pounced on the Agni Kais. The police continue to search for this beast called The Hulk, but no signs have been found. Inside sources say every Triad is beefing up security in case The Hulk strikes again, but given the sheer destruction last time this reporter doubts it will make any difference."_

Just thinking about the turf wars made Bolin's blood boil. The Triads fighting with bending fueled nonbender resentment and hate over the lives lost in the crossfire, each battle sending droves of nonbenders into the ranks of Amon. Flexing his arms Bolin wanted to end the violence personally, but that train of thought stopped when he noticed his shirt feeling tighter.

"What the…" Bolin muttered. He looked at his arms, which seemed to have more muscle than usual and stretched his sleeves. His chest was stretching out the shirt as well, feeling like any movement would make a tear. After a moment of confusion Bolin calmed down, and the bulky muscles shrank to normal size. "This is just weird."

"Excuse me?" Pema said, paying more attention to her baby than Bolin.

"I need some air," Bolin said, just for an excuse to get outside. He walked out of Tenzin's home, taking a deep breath to relax. It didn't stop worrisome thoughts from crossing his mind, that the temporary swelling of his muscles might be connected to the lost shirts and ruined pants.

Just to be on the safe side Bolin decided to get a checkup at a hospital, wondering if there was a medical explanation. He boarded the next ferry across the bay and entered the city, walking through the streets towards one of the hospitals. He hadn't been to one since the Equalist strike on the power plant, and the doctors then had dismissed him with remarkable health. Bolin wondered if there were any after effects of the explosion weeks ago, something the doctors might have missed.

But Bolin never made it to the hospital. He was across the street from the hospital when he saw several fancy satomobiles parked in front of it. Dozens of muscular thugs were escorting several patients out of the hospital and into the vehicles. One bald man in a black suit hesitated before entering a satomobile, looking across the street at Bolin. Instead of entering the vehicle the man walked across the street with two men behind him, walking up to Bolin.

"Hey, you're Bolin right?" the man asked. "From the Fire Ferret pro bending team?"

"Yes," Bolin answered, wondering what this stranger wanted.

The stranger held out his hand. "Gi Neiss, deputy for the Black Rockslides, and I'm a big fan of your work."

Bolin shook Gi Neiss's hand, trying to be as respectful as possible to a renowned Triad operative. "But I haven't really done anything noteworthy."

Gi Neiss chucked a bit. "Humble, I like that. And I can see why you'd want to keep a low profile."

"What are you talking about?" Bolin asked.

"One of my boys saw the whole thing," Gi Neiss said. "He'd been looking for an opportunity to whack that Agni Kai dame for weeks, and then you come along and send her sky high!" He laughed for a minute, until the guys behind him laughed as well. "Demolishing their headquarters too, that was a nice touch."

"Um… thank you?" Bolin said, forcing a smile on his face.

Gi Neiss put his hand on Bolin's back and gently guided him towards a satomobile. "Boy, there is a lot of money in this business for someone like you and your green alter-ego."

Still confused by what Gi Neiss was implying, Bolin decided to play along. No one ever refused an invitation from a Triad, not without severe consequences. "Okay, I'm game."

"Good," Gi Neiss said. He climbed into the backseat of a satomobile with Bolin, and the vehicle drove off.

Late in the afternoon the satomobile parked outside a fancy restaurant, and Gi Neiss led Bolin inside. Instead of getting a table for a bite to eat like Bolin expected, Gi Neiss lead him through a back door. The restaurant was a front for a Black Rockslide Triad, and behind the restaurant was a hideout for the gang. Only earthbenders were recruited for this Triad, many of which fit the stereotype of muscular barefoot guys. Some were planning the Triad's next moves, while others gambled over dice games and Pai Sho.

Bolin was reluctant to join another Triad, since the last time resulted in him getting kidnapped and nearly having his bending removed by Amon. While the Black Rockslide Triad tended to avoid turf wars, they were far from guiltless. Their usual strategy regarding the other Triads was to let them wear each other out and then move in to pick up the pieces. Bolin was only there because Gi Neiss seemed to know something about Bolin that he didn't know himself.

Sitting down in front of a bar, Gi Neiss offered to buy him a drink. "What's your poison?"

"June's firebrand," Bolin answered, reading it off a menu board. While Mako had never let him touch alcohol in his life, Bolin had always wanted to try it. Prohibition of alcohol had become law a few years ago, and you could never know if the bootlegged stuff was safe to drink.

After a few drinks Bolin overhead two guys at a table talking. "Dude, this Iron Man guy could totally take down the Hulk."

"No way, today's hotshot only beat up a few Equalists. Hulk brought down a whole building."

"Yes, but Amon interrupted the news to issue a challenge. He hasn't done that for the Hulk."

"Cause he knows the Hulk can beat the living daylights out of him."

"The Hulk can't smash Amon if he can't hit him."

Suddenly the door to the hideout was thrown open and another gang member hurried inside. "Everyone Out! Police Raid!"

Metal cables wrapped around the man in the doorway and pulled him back into the restaurant. A dozen cops assembled at the door, aiming into the hideout. "Everyone On The Ground, Now!"

Immediately every member of the Black Rockslide Triad present started bending stone blocks out of the floor and aimed them at the cops. The cops used their metal cables to intercept every rock, smashing them into dust. One by one the cops started wrapping up people inside the hideout, then yanking the captives out for others to make the arrests.

Bolin held his hands in the air. "I'm not with them!" A second later Bolin found his hands bound by metal cable. "Okay, you're starting to make me angry."

Gi Neiss smirked, even as cops wrapped him in cables. "You won't like him when he's angry."

The cops didn't bother to listen. "Everyone here is under arrest." The cop used more cable to wrap up Bolin, knocking him over in the process.

Anger swelled inside Bolin, but rational and controlled anger. He knew the police were just doing their job, and that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Bolin felt the single minded personality emerge, gradually pushing his aside. Metal cables snapped as Bolin transformed into The Hulk, standing tall and looking down at the cops.

"Son of a B-!"

Hulk yanked on the cables of the screaming cop, pulling him straight into Hulk's large green hand. Hulk slightly squeezed the cop, denting the metal armor as Hulk lifted the cop to eye level. Hulk wanted to pop the cop like a grape, but Bolin's buried personality didn't want any of the police to get hurt. Instead Hulk dropped the cop and started batting aside everyone else present, policeman and gang member alike. Then Hulk ran through the door to the restaurant, breaking through the wall around the too small doorframe.

Cops in the restaurant scrambled as Hulk charged through, getting out of the way. Some fired their cables and wrapped them around Hulk's limbs, only succeeding in tethering themselves to him. Hulk burst through the front wall and into the street beyond, dragging the tethered cops with him. Outside the sky was black as streetlamps drowned out the nighttime stars. Overhead police airships shone spotlights into the street, showing Hulk the dozens of cops and police vans that filled the area.

"Oh no…" one cop muttered. He turned to his fellow officers and yelled "It's The Hulk! _RUN!_"

Hulk roared at the top of his lungs, deafening the closest cops. The noise echoed across the city, spreading panic everywhere. He ripped off the cables still attached to his limbs, then slammed his fists into the ground. The entire street ripped apart in the earthbending and buried cops and vehicles, leaving only Hulk standing. Then Hulk leaped onto one police airship and nearly knocked it out of the sky with the force of impact. Another leap launched Hulk across the city, landing in Republic City Park.

After making a crater in his landing, Hulk only heard wild birds flying away. Quiet peace reigned in the park, even as Hulk wandered the grounds. Nearly empty during the night, the park was the only calm place in the entire city. Hulk stood by the river, letting go of the anger in the island of nature. Hulk began to shrink, changing back into Bolin.

Bolin dropped to his knees, vaguely remembering what the Hulk did. With his arms wrapped around his chest Bolin trembled, afraid of the beast inside him. Part of him wanted to leave Republic City for good, to get as far away as possible from other people in case the Hulk surfaced again. But the rest of him refused to abandon his brother and friends, not when they would need him to help fight the Equalists. The Hulk could rip Amon's robots apart, an asset the city sorely needed.

But before Bolin could decide what to do, he heard thunder echo throughout the city. Looking towards the source of the sound, he saw lightning strike in the sky by the bay. Storm clouds illuminated by the city lights hovered over the bay, bolts of lightning arcing down with booming thunder. Focusing his gaze on the lightning Bolin saw that the storm wasn't just over the bay, it was dead center over Air Temple Island.

"Korra!"


	3. Korra

_A/N: Like the last chapter, this one also takes place during the same time period from another perspective._

Chapter 3: Korra

_Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor!_

A week after inviting Mako, Bolin, and Asami to live at Air Temple Island, Korra was hard at work trying to learn airbending. Tenzin observed and instructed her, but no matter how much Korra tried to airbend it wouldn't come. Using one spiral motion after another Korra practiced exactly as Tenzin taught, but the only moving air came from a natural breeze.

After an hour of failing to airbend in the wide flat training ground, Korra threw her arms up. "Months of training and still nothing, what am I doing wrong?"

"Patience Korra," Tenzin instructed.

"I'm sick of waiting for this to just click like you said it would months ago!" Korra yelled. "At this rate it's more likely that I'll be struck by lightning!"

As if on cue thick storm clouds appeared out of nowhere above the island and a thick bolt of lightning hit the training grounds dead center. The blast made a shockwave that blew Korra and Tenzin away, leaving a large crater behind. Just as quickly as they had appeared the storm clouds dissipated, leaving the sky perfectly clear.

With her ears ringing Korra got to her feet. "I didn't mean it literally!" Korra shouted to the sky.

Tenzin rubbed his head as he stood up. He saw the crater that scarred part of his home, and noticed something in the center. "By the spirits…"

"What?" Korra asked. She looked where Tenzin was staring, dead center of the crater. Lying there was a hammer, its handle pointed towards the sky at an angle. "What that buried there this whole time?"

"I don't think so," Tenzin answered. He walked into the crater and stood beside the hammer. With his right hand Tenzing grabbed the handle and pulled. The hammer didn't budge, even when Tenzin used both hands and pulled with his whole body. "Blasted thing's stuck."

"Let me try," Korra said, walking into the crater. Tenzin stepped aside and Korra grabbed the hammer. She pulled on the hammer with all her strength, but the hammer didn't move. Instead Korra's feet sank into the dirt an inch. "What's this thing made of?"

"Together?" Tenzin suggested. He grabbed the handle with Korra, and both of them tried to lift it. Even their combined strength did nothing to move the hammer.

Korra let go of the handle, getting frustrated with it. "Alright, different approach," she muttered. Korra assumed an earthbending stance, planning to move the ground beneath the hammer. She made an uppercut motion with her fist, which would pull a slab of earth out of the ground.

A bolt of lightning shot out of the hammer the instant Korra tried to earthbend, blasting Korra out of the crater. Thunder echoed as Korra tumbled across the ground, her back hitting a tree.

"Korra!" Tenzin yelled, hurrying to where Korra lay. He quickly reached her and held up Korra's head in his arm.

Her clothes singed and smoking from the strike, Korra slightly leaned forward. She raised her arm and pointed at a nonexistent figure. "Ikki have you done your homework, or else Pema will kick my butt," Korra babbled. Her arm fell limp as she passed out.

* * *

While unconscious for over a day Korra had visions of a past life. Bits and pieces of memories lived by someone else flashed in her mind, too fragmented for her to make any sense out of. She caught a glimpse of Tenzin's father airbending, a sinister Water Tribe person in an airship, and a man wearing blue and white.

Waking up Korra found herself in her bed, but didn't remember how she got there. Slowly she got out of bed and walked out of her room, finding the usual White Lotus sentries running through the hallways. Wondering what was going on Korra followed them outside the house, finding Tenzin in the courtyard giving orders to every White Lotus member present.

"I don't care what it takes, find them!" Tenzin ordered.

Korra walked up to Tenzin. "What's going on?"

"Korra, thank heavens your awake," Tenzin said, facing Korra as the White Lotus left to follow their orders. "Mako and Asami were abducted two days ago by Equalists."

"What!" Korra yelled.

Tenzin held up a hand to tell Korra he wasn't finished. "I've already got search parties out looking for them and Bolin is searching as well, but we need as many eyes and ears as we can get out there."

"Where were they taken?" Korra demanded.

"Bolin said they were driving to City Hall when it happened," Tenzin answered. "We don't have any other leads."

"I'm going after them," Korra said. She whistled and in just a few seconds saw Naga running towards her.

"Be careful," Tenzin advised.

Korra leapt onto Naga's saddle and gripped the reins, telling her to run. Naga ran straight towards the city, jumping into the water of the bay and swimming across. Once they were in the city's streets Naga sniffed around for Mako's scent, wandering around the city trying to find it. All Naga found was an old scent from the satomobile Asami had driven the other day, and that trail ended at a police blockade.

One officer got in Naga's way. "Mam, this area is off limits, turn around now."

Looking past the officer Korra observed the scene behind him. Wrecked satomobiles and motorcycles still littered the area, left in place to preserve evidence for a police investigation. Chalk outlines were drawn around where bodies used to lay, the corpses removed and sent to the morgue. Dozens of cops were scattered over the area, writing down every detail they could see.

"What happened here?" Korra asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," the officer answered. "The police are handling this, move along."

"Fine," Korra said. She guided Naga around the scene, but kept her eyes on it as long as possible. The police had blocked off dozens of city blocks and shut down a railway that ran through the area. A derailed train wreck blocked several streets, making Korra wonder what could possibly do that. More policemen wouldn't let Korra get close, only making her suspect a cover up of something worse than Equalists.

Without any leads to follow or scents for Naga to track, Korra headed deeper into the city. She found her way to the police station, wanting to check if anyone there had news regarding Mako and Asami or an explanation for the crime scene. Leaving Naga outside the front doors of the station Korra walked into the station's lobby.

Inside Korra stumbled across a dozen cops forcing an arrested man through the room towards a door. Korra silently stared at the man with his hands bound, stunned by his yellow hair. She needed a moment to comprehend it, as yellow hair was unheard of anywhere in the world. Uncertain where he came from, Korra just watched the police take him away.

"Unhand me metal sorcerers, I am the Son of Odin!"

"Sure you are," one cop said, contemplating the use of his metal cables to gag the man.

The cops took the strange man into a hallway and closed doors behind them, leaving a bemused Korra behind. "Who in the world was that?" she muttered.

"Ignore him, he's not important," a new voice said. Korra turned towards the voice, finding a former pro bending opponent leaning against a wall.

"Tahno?" Korra questioned. She saw him wearing a black suit, vaguely similar to a police uniform. "Are you… a cop now?"

"Not exactly," Tahno answered. He made a weak chuckle. "I'm surprised you don't know."

"Know about what?" Korra asked, walking up to Tahno.

"Chief Bei Fong set up a covert task force before she resigned," Tahno explained. He slipped a hand into a pocket and took out a small paper book. "She said it was based off some group from when she was a kid." He tossed the book over to Korra.

Flipping through the pages Korra looked at old shades of brown pictures taken with the very first cameras invented just over four decades ago. Among the pictures were Avatar Aang, Toph Bei Fong, a scruffy looking person with sideburns that Korra didn't recognize, a dark skinned bald man with an eye patch, and a light skinned man bearing a shield. "Who are all these people?"

"They all fought against Yakone way back," Tahno answered. "But that's ancient history."

"Yea, ancient history," Korra muttered, her eyes still on the last picture. "No offense, but why would Bei Fong pick you for this covert group thing?"

Tahno started walking into a hallway and gestured for Korra to follow him. He led her to a long room inside the station, targets set up against the far wall. Inside were several cops in training, firing metal cables at the targets. Most of them missed, their aim needed more practice. Tahno picked up a metal bow from a rack on a wall, nocked an arrow onto the string, then fired the arrow across the room. The arrow hit a target dead center, and Tahno followed another arrow that split the first down the middle, and a third arrow that split the second and pierced the back of the target.

Korra whistled after the shots. "Where'd you learn to do that?"

"I was a late bloomer with my bending," Tahno said, putting the bow away. "My grandfather was one of the original Yu Yan archers, and he taught me everything he knew with a bow. Amon's going to regret taking my bending away, right when I put an arrow in between his eyes."

"Get in line," Korra said.

Tahno smiled. "See you around, Avatar."

* * *

Continuing her search for Mako and Asami, Korra looked everywhere she could think of for them. Days passed and she found nothing, and then Bolin didn't return to Air Temple Island one night. On the next day Korra was surprised to find everyone making it back on their own, Mako and Asami rescuing themselves from the Equalists.

In the backyard of Tenzin's home Korra tended to Mako's bruised body. They were sitting on a bench while Korra applied water to Mako's back, using waterbending to heal. "Alright, tell me how you got out of there?" Korra asked.

"Trust me, you won't believe it," Mako answered. Feeling pain in his back disappear he turned and tapped a finger on his chest. "The ribs need some work."

Bending more water from a bucket Korra started healing Mako's chest. "Come on, it can't be stranger than those robots Amon has."

"Well it's actually kind of like that," Mako said. "Asami's told me she's going to recreate what we used to escape. You can see it for yourself when she's finished."

"Alright, I'm going to hold you to that," Korra said. She finished the healing, allowing Mako to get up and leave. Korra watched him head for Asami's workshop on the island, remaining on the bench until Mako was out of sight.

Suddenly a body fell out of the sky and slammed into the ground. Korra screamed as she saw the head of a black haired woman tumble away from the impact site, the rest of the body a splattered mess. The noise caught the attention of everyone on the island, and only quick reactions from Tenzin kept his kids from seeing what was left of the corpse.

In half an hour police were on the island, summoned there with a phone call from Tenzin. Dozens of cops investigated the incident, some trying to identify the remains. A fragment of red clothing with a blue flame patch identified it as a member of the Agni Kai Triad. Who the person had been couldn't be determined, the remains too badly damaged in the fall.

One officer questioned Korra about the incident, standing with her in the backyard. "Are you certain it just fell from the sky?" he asked.

"Yes," Korra said. She gestured to the bench nearby. "I was sitting right there when it happened.

A female officer approached the one questioning Korra. "Sir, the… _pattern_… does suggest the body fell from very high up." She looked at a notepad that had a few calculations scribbled on it. "I could be wrong, but the data here implies that the body fell from orbit."

"But that's impossible," Korra objected. "How could anything get that high?"

"That's classified," the first officer said. He turned to the others in his squad. "Everyone, I want this area cleaned up immediately. Children live here and shouldn't see this."

Korra watched the police clean up the remains, removing every last trace of blood. Once the police were finished and gone Korra wandered on the island, trying to find something to do that would take her mind off the incident. Wandering into the airbending training grounds Korra found the crater with the hammer still there, left alone since it had arrived.

But Korra wasn't alone there, she found a stranger standing next to the hammer. A skinny man with black hair slicked back, wearing a green business suit. He didn't seem to notice Korra or simply didn't care that she was present. Instead he reached down for the hammer, grabbing the handle with both hands. He tried to lift the hammer, but the weapon refused to budge.

"Who are you?" Korra asked, standing at the edge of the crater.

The stranger let go of the hammer and faced Korra. Staring at Korra, it seemed like his gaze pierced her very soul. "We meet again, Champion of Midgard."

"I've never seen you before in my life," Korra said.

"Not this life," the stranger said. He took slow steps towards Korra. "I've met many of your past incarnations. My personal favorite was Kuruk, he knew how to throw a party."

"But, that would be over nine hundred years ago," Korra said.

"More or less," the stranger corrected, stopping just a foot away from Korra. "I am Loki."

That name triggered memories of several past lives, all involving a trickster that played games with human lives solely for amusement. Some of those lives enjoyed winning those games, while most sought to end them before they could begin. All of Korra's past lives knew that Loki was not a being to be trusted, a lesson that transcended the incarnations of the Avatar.

"What do you want?" Korra demanded.

"From you? Nothing," Loki answered. He turned away from Korra and walked back to the hammer in the crater. "Tell me, have you tried to wield Mjolnir?"

"Excuse me?" Korra said.

"This hammer," Loki corrected. "No mere mortal could ever hope to be worthy of its power. But you are no mere mortal."

"I already knew that last part," Korra said, crossing her arms.

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Loki said. He walked away from the hammer and out of the crater, moving past Korra. "Your kind, they are born, they live, and they die." Loki turned his head back to Korra. "But you… you live, die, and live again. You alone of your kind have a sense of continuity."

"Is there any point to this?" Korra asked.

"Just passing the time," Loki answered. "I assure you, there will be quite a show very soon."

"What do you mean?" Korra demanded, getting in front of Loki.

"You'll see soon enough," Loki answered. In one swift motion of his arm Loki struck Korra, the force sending her flying across the island and crashing into the sky bison stable.

* * *

Out cold for a few days, Korra had more visions of a past life. She saw a battle fought amongst benders, both sides wielding water earth and fire. Nonbenders fought beside the Avatar, one wielding a circular shield. The man threw his shield, which struck his enemy and bounced off several more before returning to him. Avatar Aang saluted to the nonbender, who saluted back.

Korra woke up in her bed, starting to hate finding herself there every time something knocked her out. Immediately Korra resumed her training to ensure that it wouldn't happen again. Two weeks passed since Mako and Asami returned to the island, and the situation in Republic City was getting worse. Turf wars between Triads drove more and more nonbenders into the ranks of Amon, and rumors of a beast called The Hulk weren't helping matters.

Late in the afternoon Korra walked into Tenzin's living room, finding Pema there with her kids. Meelo was napping on the couch while Jinora and Ikki were listening to the radio. "Hey Pema, have you seen Mako or Bolin anywhere? I wanted to spar with them for a while."

Before Pema could say anything Jinora spoke first. "Lover boy's doing something with Asami in her workshop."

Korra couldn't help but grunt at that remark. But then she heard fire blazing outside, and when she looked out a window Korra saw something leaving a trail of flames towards Republic City. "Okay, what in the world was that?"

Ikki hurried to the window and saw the trail of fire, barely keeping her feet on the floor in excitement. "Look mommy, it's Iron Man!"

"Iron who?" Korra questioned.

"Some hotshot that was on the news earlier," Pema explained. She reached for the radio and turned the dial to a news station.

"_Reports are coming in now. Iron Man accepts Amon's challenge, blazing across the sky at this very moment. Will he fight alone, or will The Hulk crash the party?"_

"That thing is real?" Korra asked. "I thought Hulk was just an urban legend."

"_Hang on a second, some new reports just now show an unidentified airship flying towards Air Temple Island…"_

Sudden static interrupted the broadcast, and then the signal went dead.

The door to the living room burst open, waking up Meelo. Tenzin stood in the doorway. "Everyone in the bunker, now!"

Before anyone could demand an explanation the windows shattered as a pair of chi blockers smashed their way inside. They moved to strike Korra but were blown away by Tenzin. More chi blockers leapt through the broken windows, but Korra was fast enough to blast them back with fire. With earthbending Korra raised a wall to cover the windows.

Everyone could hear sounds of combat coming out of the hallway. A White Lotus sentry appeared in the doorway. "We're Under Attack!" From behind him an Equalist struck with an electrified glove, instantly paralyzing him.

Tenzin bent a gust of wind at the Equalist with enough force to slam him against a wall. Another Equalist replaced the first, but all three of Tenzin's kids threw wind to mimic their father's strike. Korra hurried through the door and blasted fire down the hallway, driving back Equalist intruders. One Equalist got up behind Korra, but collapsed when Pema smashed the radio over his head.

"Thanks," Korra said.

"Come on!" Tenzin ordered. He led everyone into the master bedroom for himself and Pema. Tenzin crouched to pull back a rug on the floor, revealing a metal hatch. He pressed his hand to a lock and bent air through it, blowing tumblers into place and unlocking the hatch. Tenzin lifted the hatch open and nearly pushed his children inside. "Pema, keep the kids safe."

Before entering the bunker herself, Pema kissed her husband. "I will."

When Tenzin closed and locked the hatch only he and Korra were still in the bedroom. "We have to find the others and get them here."

"We better check Asami's workshop," Korra suggested.

Just a minute later Korra and Tenzin were outside the house. The setting sun illuminated an airship nearly above the island, as well as hundreds of Equalists fighting the White Lotus on the island. In the distance Korra saw Asami's workshop, resembling a small shack. Fighting every Equalist in the way would take forever, so Korra earthbent a dome around herself and Tenzin, then bent the ground to carry it across the island.

Outside the workshop three Equalists were trying to break in the door. The hinges were starting to break when Korra's earth dome arrived, shattering into large pieces that struck every nearby Equalist. Korra reached the door and kicked it down, snapping off the damaged hinges. Inside Korra saw Asami yelling into a radio.

"Mako, get that tin butt of yours back here right now!" Asami yelled.

"_I'm kind of busy here!"_

Static started interrupting Mako's voice through the radio. "Mako!" Asami yelled, but there wasn't any response. "Mako! Can you hear me?" More static came out of the radio. "Piece of scrap, the signal's jammed!"

"Asami, where's Mako?" Korra demanded as she blasted fire at another Equalist outside.

"Not on the island," Asami answered.

Outside Tenzin blew away a chi blocker, but then saw the airship hovering directly above. In the dim light of the setting sun Tenzin saw hatches open on the underside of the airship. "Incoming!" Tenzin yelled.

Half of the ceiling in Asami's workshop collapsed as a twenty foot tall robot crashed through the roof. Korra recognized it from the factory beneath the Sato mansion, the tank treads for feet and the glass around the operator inside. Direct attacks had failed the last time Korra tried to fight one, the platinum metal alloy shielding the operator from the elements.

Instead of trying to attack the robot itself, Korra bent the floor beneath it. She split the ground in two and made it wide enough for the entire robot to fall inside, then brought the ground back together to bury it. The robot pushed its arms out of the dirt and the claws on the ends launched on cables, clamping onto the damaged ceiling. The claws held on to the ceiling as the cables retracted, gradually pulling the robot out of the ground.

"We better get out of here!" Asami yelled.

Korra led Asami out of the workshop, and found a dozen more robots dropping onto the island. "Is Bolin anywhere near…" A distant roar from the city interrupted Korra. "Do I even want to know what that was?"

"I haven't seen Bolin all day," Asami said. She saw one robot drive towards her on its tank treads. "We better move!"

Korra sank the robot into the ground, but more of them closed in. "I'll hold them off, get out of here!"

"You can't fight them alone!" Tenzin objected, blowing away a nearby Equalist.

"We can't fight them together!" Korra yelled, remembering how only half a dozen robots were enough to beat them beneath the Sato mansion.

Before Tenzin could object any further Korra started running, throwing fire at the robots to get their attention. As the robots followed Korra across the island Tenzin got Asami to the bunker in the house, joining his wife and kids. While running Korra tried to come up with a plan to defeat the robots, as bending alone wasn't enough. Stumbling onto the airbending training grounds gave Korra a risky idea, and she headed straight for the crater with the hammer.

Stopping at the edge of the crater Korra turned to face the robots. One of the machines drove ahead of the others, its operator wanting the first crack at the Avatar. Korra took an earthbending stance, but instead of bending at the robot she aimed her bending at the hammer. The earth refused to bend beneath the hammer, and the weapon shot a bolt of lightning at Korra. With just enough time Korra ducked beneath the bolt, which continued and struck the lead robot. Electricity surged through the machine, frying the mechanisms inside and leaving it a giant hunk of scrap metal.

"Wow, that actually worked," Korra muttered as she stood up. She got in between the next robot and the hammer and repeated the earthbending move, using the hammer's defense mechanism to fry another machine. But the third robot's operator saw what Korra was doing, and drove towards her at maximum speed before she could get into position. Swinging the metal arm it struck Korra, tossing her into the crater beside the hammer.

As the robot started driving into the crater Korra leaned her back against the hammer. With one hand she grabbed the handle to lift herself up, certain that it would bear her weight. Suddenly Korra fell back to the ground, her hand still gripping the handle. She looked at the weapon, finding her arm holding it off the ground. It felt like it weighed nothing at all, but powerful nonetheless.

"Am I worthy?" Korra muttered, staring at the hammer even as the robot approached. Gripping the handle with both hands Korra swung the hammer into the robot's leg, smashing through it in one blow and toppling the machine.

Rising to her feet Korra held the hammer above her head. Storm clouds appeared in the sky above Air Temple Island, lightning raining down onto the hammer. Mystical power flowed out of the hammer into Korra, filling her with the strength of Asgard. Formfitting platemail replaced Korra's shirt and a red cape appeared, though it still left her sleeves bare like Korra preferred.

More lightning struck the hammer and when Korra swung the weapon the lightning discharged on contact with a robot, destroying the struck leg and frying the rest of it. Korra leapt on top of the wrecked machine and faced half a dozen more behind it. She raised the hammer to let lightning strike it, then aimed it towards the robots letting the lightning in the hammer lash out and strike the first robot and destroy it.

"Incredible," Korra muttered, marveled by the power at her fingertips. She leapt up and above another robot and swung the hammer down, smashing the chest and nearly breaking the entire thing in two. Another swing smashed the rest of the robot into another, destroying both of them. Stepping on a piece of broken machine Korra rested the hammer on her shoulder and faced the remaining three robots. "You know, I'm not used to wielding weapons. But I must admit I am really enjoying the hammer."

Operators inside the robots looked at each other, then shifted the tank treads into reverse. As the robots retreated Korra held the hammer high to bring lightning down to it, and then swung the hammer into the ground. The force of the blow amplified Korra's earthbending, shattering the ground beneath the robots and burying them up to the shoulders. Just to be certain the robots stayed buried Korra slammed the hammer onto each of them one a time, wrecking them all.

After the last destroyed robot Korra looked around for any other threats. She heard a familiar barking and turned towards the house. "Naga!" Korra yelled, worried for her best friend. Immediately Korra started running towards the house, finding Naga facing a pair of robots. The polar bear-dog was in between Korra and the robots, too risky to use lightning. Instead Korra threw the hammer past Naga and smashed a crippling hole in one robot, and to Korra's surprise the hammer flew back to her hand. Korra summoned lightning to the hammer and threw it again, hitting the last robot and the lightning strike made it explode.

Catching the returning hammer again, Korra leapt onto Naga's saddle. Disorganized Equalists saw Korra raise the hammer towards the sky, summoning more lightning to the weapon. Mystical power spread from the hammer and Korra to her faithful mount, replacing Naga's saddle with metal armor fit for a war hound. Naga slammed a paw into the ground and roared at the Equalists, many of which fled in terror. The few that remained were batted aside as Naga charged through them, crushing those unfortunate enough to get caught beneath Naga's paws.

Above the island the Equalist airship started to fly away, abandoning the forces it had deployed below. The crew's mission was to prove how even the airbenders were vulnerable to the revolution, not fight a force of nature. Flying over the bay towards the city, the airship tried to flee as fast as it could. Losing the deployed robots was a sacrifice the crew was willing to make to ensure that Amon knew about the new threat.

Korra wasn't going to let the airship simply fly away. She swung the hammer around and around in circles until it seemed to blur, and then swung it towards the airship. Holding onto the handle as it flew into the air, Korra flew with it towards the airship. Immediately Korra regretted the action, feeling like her arm was being pulled out of her shoulder. Just a few seconds later Korra was above the airship and landed on top of it.

"Oww…" Korra muttered, rubbing her shoulder with her free hand. "That will take some getting used to." She stepped over to the side of the airship and looked down, finding the water of the bay reflecting the city lights. "It's time to sink this boat." Raising the hammer Korra brought the lightning down to it, then slammed the hammer into the airship's hull. Electricity surged through the ship as cracks spread through the hull, damaging the engines and venting hot air that kept the airship in the sky.

As the airship started to fall out of the sky Korra heard slow clapping nearby. She turned and saw Loki on the other side of the airship, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. "Well done," Loki said, taking short steps towards Korra.

"I could have sworn I was alone up here," Korra said, resting the hammer on the hull.

Loki ignored the comment, observing the hammer and the attire Korra wore. "It appears that Mjolnir has chosen a new bearer." Loki rubbed his chin, pondering the implications of this development. "Asgard is going to miss my dear brother."

"Don't care," Korra said, lifting up the hammer with both hands. "Let's see if your head breaks just as easily as your Equalist machines."

A second later Loki started laughing. "Those toys were not mine to command, and are but a prelude of what your enemy has in store for Midgard."

Suddenly the airship hit the water of the bay and started to sink. "Look, I'm starting to get tired of all this crap," Korra said. She charged at Loki with the hammer ready to strike. "I'm taking you out, now!"

When she was close enough Korra swung the hammer at Loki. He ducked beneath the swing and jammed his knee into Korra's gut, the force penetrating the plate mail and nearly making her collapse in pain. Then Loki punched Korra's chest, sending her into the air still holding the hammer. Halfway across the bay back to Air Temple Island Korra let go of the hammer as she fell, crashing into the ground near Tenzin's home.

In her own little crater Korra heard the hammer hit the ground. In her vision the world was spinning, nearly going black in pain from the fall. On the verge of blacking out Korra had waking visions, of a man making the ultimate sacrifice for his city and country. Korra saw a massive airship crash into the northern seas, and heard Avatar Aang calling out for a lost comrade.

In reality Korra vaguely saw Tenzin running towards her. For a brief moment the vision and reality seemed to merge, making Tenzin appear to be someone else. She saw a man wearing blue and white, carrying a circular red and blue shield with a white star on it. In spite of never meeting the man personally, he seemed to be familiar to Korra.

"Cap?"

_A/N: For the record, any similarities this chapter might have to the upcoming episode 'Turning the Tide' is purely coincidental. All three chapters so far were written before posting the first one, in order to achieve the simultaneous events without screwing it up. Equalists attacking Air Temple Island is a plot development that was easy to see coming, as various fan fiction stories on this site use it. So like everyone else that predicted this plot development, confirmed by promos and leaked footage, we can all say "Called It!"  
_


	4. Captain Republic

_A/N: For the sake of the story I'm throwing out the flashbacks revealed in 'Out of the Past' for a scenario more fitting a soldier superhero. Unfortunately there are no canon characters that are the right age during that time period, so an OC was required. To make up for this issue there is a special guest appearance for part of the chapter._

Chapter 4: Captain Republic

Far from the United Republic of Nations, at the very top of the world, explorers from Republic City were charting the frozen tundra beyond the Northern Water Tribe. Dozens of men and women wearing thick parkas in the cold scouted the ice sheets preserved in perpetual winter, studying the life that called this place home. But none of them were aware of the treasure that lay beneath their feet, sealed away in the ice for decades.

One explorer noticed an unusually clear patch of ice beside a snowdrift. She walked over to it and looked through the ice, as if it were a clear window into empty space below. Though she wasn't certain, it appeared that there was metal down below. "Hey!" She yelled, gesturing to the others to come closer. "I've found something!"

Three others approached and looked through the ice. But the ice was thinner than it appeared and the combined weight strained the ice to its limit. Cracks spread through the ice faster than the explorers could react and it shattered before any could see the danger. All four of them fell through the ice, one of them waterbending the broken ice into fresh snow to soften the landing on hard metal.

"Everyone okay?" one man asked, standing up and looking around. He saw the others getting up and rubbing the limbs they fell on.

The waterbender in the group crouched and tapped the metal everyone stood on. "How did this get here?" he wondered out loud.

A firebender lit a flame in his hand for light and looked ahead, finding a wide hole in the metal. "Let's check it out."

Using a ladder made from waterbended ice everyone climbed through the tear, entering a wide metal corridor below. Decades of frost coated everything inside the frozen tomb. Wandering through the corridors brought the explorers into an area that appeared to be an airship's cockpit. Glass windows were shattered long ago and thick ice covered controls and seats inside the room.

The woman that first found the clear ice walked up to the front of the cockpit where the pilot would sit. She saw a body still at the helm, preserved in ice several inches thick. Around the body's hand a chunk of ice had broken off, exposing skin to the cold. Curious about the body, the woman removed a glove and placed bare fingers on the exposed skin. It wasn't as cold as she expected, and then she felt a very faint heartbeat.

"By the spirits!" the woman yelled, pulling her hand away and facing the others. "This man's still alive!"

* * *

**Forty two years ago.**

"_Republic City at War!_

"_Less than three decades after the end of the Hundred Year War, the world threatens to come apart at the seams. Civil War divides the United Republic of Nations, threatening everything Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko have worked to achieve all these years. The call to arms has been made, thousands of men and women of this great nation joining the United Forces. Yakone is going to regret starting this rebellion, once our Yankee sons and daughters get a hold of him and his bending supremacists."_

A crowd of Republic City civilians listened outside a radio in front of a shop, most of them too poor to afford the new and expensive devices. Taller than a man and twice as wide, only the wealthy could afford a radio in their private home. Shopkeepers allowed commoners to listen to the radio before browsing the goods, as news from the front lines attracted customers. But one person was not there to shop, but was on his way to a recruitment center for the war effort.

Shran Raiden, an eighteen year old boy with light brown hair wearing a thick gray coat in chilly morning air. The thick clothing slightly hid his scrawny body that resembled a child more than a man his age. A thick wool hat covered most of his head, as Shran Raiden didn't want anyone recognizing him as he walked through the streets. In the distance he could see tall buildings under construction, that when finished would scrape the very sky.

By midmorning Shran Raiden arrived at his destination, entering a small building a few blocks from City Hall. Inside a lobby he found lines of people in front of counters, all there to volunteer for the war like himself. Nearly all of the people inside were bigger than Shran, even some of the women were twice his size. But Shran didn't care about his disadvantage, wanting to serve his country at any cost.

One by one people at the front of the lines were either accepted or rejected for military service, based on reports made from tests everyone had already taken a week earlier. When it was Shran's turn an old woman had to lean over the counter and look down to see him properly. She frowned while looking at him, not bothering to hide her expectation of a rejection report.

"Name?" the old woman asked.

"Shang Rai," Shran lied.

Flipping through the alphabetized reports the old woman quickly found one labeled Shang Rai. It described various reasons why he should not be allowed in the military, his weak muscles, fragile frame, easily winded, no bending, et cetera. Immediately the woman reached for the rejection stamper to send a boy home.

"Please!" Shran pleaded. "There must be something I can do!"

The old woman sighed, and then stamped the report Rejected. "I'm saving your life."

His fourth attempt thwarted, Shran walked out of the recruitment center. Back in the streets of Republic City he considered trying again with a different recruiter. It was illegal to reapply for service after a rejection, and eventually someone would figure out what he was doing despite using aliases. Shran decided to wait a few weeks before trying again at a recruitment station on the other side of the city.

In the meantime Shran returned to his home, an apartment shared with his brother in the outskirts of Republic City. Bei Raiden was already in the army as a firebender sniper, leaving the entire apartment to the younger Shran. Once he was inside the small room Shran locked the door and hung up his coat. But as he reached for the switch to turn on the light a metal cable fired and hit the switch for him.

As the only ceiling light turned on Shran turned around, finding someone sitting on his couch. It was a woman with black hair, wearing standard police armor except for a lack of boots. She didn't even turn her head to Shran, confusing him until he saw that her eyes were milky white and unfocused. The metal cable she fired from her wrist retracted into her armor, stored in reels carried on her back.

"You've got a lot of explaining to do kid," the woman demanded.

Shran gulped and hesitated to answer, believing that he could be arrested at any moment. Chief of Police Toph Bei Fong didn't make house calls unless serious business was happening. "I don't know…"

"Cut the crap." Toph stood up and pulled four reports out of a pocket, slapping them onto a nearby table. They were all recruitment center reports, nearly identical except for different names. "Shran Raiden, Shen Ron, Shao Ran, Shang Rai, does this sound familiar?"

"The first is real," Shran admitted.

"Do you have a death wish?" Toph asked, walking up to Shran. "Five minutes on a battlefield will break you, and yet you try again and again to get in the military."

"My brother is out there fighting for his country!" Shran yelled. "I can't just sit here and do nothing to help. This country needs everyone united to survive, I want to contribute in any way I can."

Silence reigned for a few moments as Toph judged Shran's sincerity. She could tell he wasn't lying, his tone dripping with patriotism. "Are you willing to put your very life on the line?"

Immediately Shran Raiden answered "Yes."

Toph grinned. "That's what I wanted to hear." She held out a hand, and Shran shook it with his. "Welcome to Project Rebirth."

* * *

Beneath the very heart of Republic City was a secret government facility, hidden from the general population. Everything from factories to offices to training centers were inside, the facility stretching for miles in every direction and half a mile deep. Security guards stood in front of every door, checking the identity of everyone that passed through. On the bottom level behind all the security was Project Rebirth, an experiment that some believed would change the world.

Inside a large chamber Shran marveled at all the equipment inside, most of which he had no idea what they were for. Large power generators lined the far wall with thick cables connecting them to a human sized metal cylinder in the middle of the room. Rows of mechanical controls were spaced around the room with dozens of technicians monitoring them. Above the only door into the chamber was a glass window separating a viewing area from the machines, filled with rows of seats to watch from.

"What is all this?" Shran Raiden asked, standing behind Lin Bei Fong.

Instead of answering the question herself Toph turned towards someone that could better explain it. "Dr. Kai, a word please!"

An elderly gentleman with thin white hair that had been connecting wires in the central cylinder turned and walked over to Toph. "Ah Miss Bei Fong, we are nearly ready to begin," Dr. Kai reported. He pulled a piece of parchment out of his lab coat pocket, a checklist of things to make sure were working before starting. "It will only be another hour for the final preparations."

"Good, now please give our test subject the short version of what this is," Toph asked.

Dr. Kai looked at Shran and smiled. "Yes, of course." He opened a metal briefcase and retrieved one of many vials of blue liquid. "This serum is my life's work, a scientific breakthrough. With sufficient power this will amplify the body and mind beyond the theoretical limits of humanity. Good becomes Great, Bad becomes Worse, and if I'm told about you is true, then we can expect greatness from you after today."

"If it works," a new voice said.

Shran turned around to see a man in yellow and orange clothing standing in the doorway. His head was shaved but had a short beard. Shran's jaw hung when he saw the arrow tattoos on the man's hands and head. Immediately Shran bowed in respect, being in the presence of a living legend. Avatar Aang observed everyone in the chamber, and then faced Toph.

"You're late," Toph said.

"Tenzin had another bad migraine," Aang answered. He walked around the chamber and stopped behind a Water Tribe man tinkering with the power generators. "Sokka, is this going to be enough for the whole experiment?"

After reconnecting a few wires between pieces of the generators Sokka stood up and shook Aang's hand. "I'll have to tap into the main grid to get enough juice, even with you and Angry Jerk pumping lightning into the system."

"I heard that!" another new voice yelled. Every head turned to see Fire Lord Zuko entering. "You know I don't like that nickname."

"Which is why I still use it," Sokka said. He pulled off a plate of metal from a generator and inspected components inside. "I would be a lot more comfortable about this if we had another lightning bender here."

"Azula hasn't bent lightning since her breakdown," Zuko said. Looking around the chamber Zuko searched for anything to change the subject, and his gaze settled on Shran Raiden. "And this must be our first volunteer."

"Yes sir," Shran Raiden said, bowing to the Fire Lord.

"Good," Zuko said. He looked at everyone else in the chamber before raising his voice. "Let's get this party started!"

Over the next hour the final preparations were made to complete Project Rebirth. Dr. Kai inserted two dozen vials of his serum into the metal cylinder in the room, while Shran had to climb inside it without a shirt on. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko stood on platforms above the generators, facing twin rods to channel lightning into the machines. Toph Bei Fong stood inside the viewing area behind the glass window, beside the City Council and military generals. Dozens of technicians monitored the equipment, ready to act at a moment's notice.

Inside the metal cylinder Shran started feeling claustrophobic, despite having plenty of room to move his limbs. On the other side Dr. Kai flicked a few switches, prompting a dozen needles in the cylinder walls to stick into Shran's arms and inject the serum. At a control station Sokka pulled a lever and turned a dial, turning on the generators and sending electricity into the cylinder. The metal started to glow with power, and inside Shran felt the energy as a tingling sensation.

"It is too late to use the bathroom?" Shran asked.

"Yup," Sokka said, turning the dial further. He put on a pair of darkened goggles to shield his eyes as increasing power made the cylinder glow brighter. "Aang, Zuko, you're up!"

At the same time Aang and Zuko started the arm motions that skilled firebenders used to create lightning. Energy cackled around their fingertips until it was released, straight from the arm through the air into the metal rods to the generators. Fresh energy surged through the machines and fed into the metal cylinder, the glow becoming so bright it was difficult to look at. Inside Shran started to groan in pain as the electricity activated the serum in his blood.

Dr. Kai heard the sound of pain, which made him hesitate to continue. "Abort…"

"No!" Shran Raiden interrupted. "I can handle this!"

"You heard him," Sokka said. Turning the dial all the way pumped every bit of electricity the generators could provide into the cylinder, in addition to the lightning Aang and Zuko were bending. Then Sokka pulled a large lever to connect the facility to Republic City's main power grid, drawing even more electricity into the machines.

All across the city there were fluctuations in the power, lights dimming and radios quieting. Entire districts of Republic City went dark as the power went out, all the electricity diverted below ground. Civilians hurried out of the streets into any shelter they could find, fearing a possible attack. The power plant itself started to run out of electricity, pumping out power faster than it could be replenished.

The power of an entire city, Fire Lord, and Avatar, all concentrated into the cylinder with Shran inside. It was brighter than the sun, painful for anyone to look at directly. Shran screamed as he felt like his body was being torn apart and reassembled, the serum remaking his entire being. At the time Shran believed he was about to die the pain ceased, the electrical surge abruptly ending and the glow on the cylinder vanishing. Darkness filled the chamber for a few minutes before emergency generators activated to restore power to the lights.

When Dr. Kai and Sokka opened the metal cylinder Shran Raiden gasped for air and stumbled forward. At first Shran didn't see anyone around him, before he realized he was looking over everyone's heads. Looking down Shran gasped in sight of his physique, not believing his eyes. Over six feet tall now with ripped muscles, it seemed like his head had been planted on someone else's body. For the first few steps Shran thought he might tip over, before adjusting his balance on longer legs.

"Incredible," Shran muttered, flexing longer and stronger arms.

Sokka whistled at the sight of success. "Excellent work doctor, the serum works."

Everyone in the chamber started to crowd around Shran to see the result of Project Rebirth, except for one technician that stopped beside the open metal cylinder. No one noticed him taking a spare vial of serum from Dr. Kai's briefcase and stuff it in a pocket. But as the technician walked behind the metal cylinder Toph Bei Fong walked into the chamber, sensing apprehension from the man from the vibrations coming from him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Toph yelled at the suspicious technician.

The technician spread his arms apart to command earth impurities in the metal cylinder, stretching it apart with his bending. He bent the metal at Dr. Kai, wrapping it around him tight enough to crush bone. Then the technician reached towards the generators and clenched his hand into a fist, crushing them with metalbending. Residual power within the crushed generators exploded, scattering shrapnel and smoke across the chamber and momentarily blinding anyone unprepared.

"Hail Yakone," the traitorous metalbender muttered, then grabbed Dr. Kai's briefcase and ran for the door.

Unaffected by the smoke, Toph bent the floor into a wall to block the exit. Instead of trying to force the rock back down the fleeing man bent it further up, breaking off the slab from the floor and opening the way long enough for him to slip through. The dislodged rock crashed back into the floor, requiring Toph to bend it out of the way. A second later sudden wind dispersed the smoke out the door, Avatar Aang about to pursue the traitor. But then Aang noticed that someone was missing from the chamber.

Shran was already running after the traitor, slipped through the same gap in earthbending that the enemy had used to get past Toph. Running faster than he had ever run before in his entire life, Shran wasn't sure if he would be able to stop. The traitor looked back and saw the pursuit, then started earthbending obstacles to stop it. Shran leaped over half formed walls of rock, surprised at how natural his new agility felt.

At the end of the hallway was a stairwell that led all the way up to the surface, they only way out of the facility. The traitor skipped the first dozen flights of stairs by earthbending a column of rock out of the floor, launching him up through the shaft the stairs twisted around and landing on the metal. Shran started running up the stairs three steps at a time, grabbing the handrails to turn with. Though the enemy had a considerable lead, Shran closed the distance as they reached the surface.

Barreling past guards on the top level of the facility the traitor ran out into the streets of Republic City, and just a few seconds behind him Shran followed. Pedestrians and carriages pulled by ostrich-horses filled the streets, providing plenty of obstacles to lose pursuers in. Shran leaped on top of a moving carriage and started jumping from one to the next, keeping the target in sight. He saw the traitor run into a narrow alley and followed into it.

While running through the alley Shran grabbed an empty trash can and threw it at the traitor. The can hit the man in the back and knocked him over, leaving bruises and stopping him. Immediately the traitor got back up and picked up the garbage can, metalbended it into a compact ball and threw it back at Shran. Grabbing a garbage can lid and using it as a shield Shran blocked the attack. The traitor started earthbending stone projectiles at Shran, making dents in the improvised shield but not penetrating it. When Shran was only a few feet away he tossed the lid up and punched the traitor in the face. The lid came back down into Shran's hands and he slammed it into the traitor's head, knocking him into a wall and nearly breaking the lid in two.

Humiliated that a nonbender had the upper hand, the traitor started earthbending the ground. He made the solid ground behave like mud, sinking Shran's legs into it. Immediately Shran grabbed the traitor's shirt and pulled him into the soft ground face first, plunging the head into the earth. The ground hardened as the traitor's concentration broke, leaving his head buried and Shran's legs stuck in the ground. Just a second later the traitor freed his head, only to have a clear view of Shran punching his face.

Sudden wind blew through the alley scattering dust and trash everywhere. Shran twisted his head around to see Avatar Aang closing in. The traitor saw him as well, realizing that he couldn't escape now. He grabbed Dr. Kai's briefcase and crushed it with metalbending, destroying the contents inside. Then just to mock Shran the traitor took the last vial of serum from his pocket and smashed it on the ground.

"Hail Yakone," the traitor muttered. Just before Aang dropped into the alley the traitor grabbed a shard of metal and slit his own throat, denying his enemies a chance to interrogate him.

Just a second too late to stop the suicide Avatar Aang landed beside the body. He scowled at the sight of a man taking his own life, not seeing the like since the last holdouts of Fire Nation troops after the Hundred Year War. There was nothing he could do about the betrayal now, so Aang earthbended Shran out of the ground.

"Are you injured?" Aang asked, helping Shran to his feet.

"No, I don't think so," Shran Raiden answered. He wasn't even tired, despite using more physical effort in the last ten minutes than in his entire life before. Then he realized that his chest was exposed to the air. "I could use a shirt though."

In spite of the all the tragedy today, Aang laughed at the comment. "You've earned it, soldier."

* * *

"_News from the Front!_

"_Our men and women in uniform advance on supremacist positions, retaking entire cities seized at the start of the civil war. Yakone's forces scorch the land as they retreat, a coward's tactic to stall for time. Reports from behind enemy lines show nonbenders in supremacist territory being rounded up, enslaved in forced labor camps while the benders fight the war. Yakone threatens to exterminate every nonbender in these concentration camps if the Yankee army approaches._

"_But never fear nonbenders, your champion vows to free your brethren. An equal match for any bender, Captain Republic fights beside Avatar Aang against Yakone's forces. Armed with his mighty shield Captain Republic protects those who cannot protect themselves, a force for equal rights of all citizens. Go get them Cap!"_

Getting sick of the propaganda Shran kept walking past the radio in a military airfield, wearing a black military trench coat and hat to avoid attention. Dozens of airships rested on the ground, either waiting for troops to board or undergoing repairs. There was a mission tonight for Shran aboard a tiny airship, barely larger than a house. Climbing up a ramp Shran entered a cramped space in the airship, the ceiling too low for him to stand up properly.

Shran took off his coat and hung it on a wall, revealing the custom uniform he used as Captain Republic. Mostly blue and white with bits of red, the outfit resembled the flag of Republic City. It had been Sokka's idea to use the only super soldier as a symbol for the war, the best of the nonbenders fighting beside the Avatar for unity and peace.

While waiting for the airship to take off Shran heard someone climbing up the ramp. He saw Toph Bei Fong enter the airship, ducking her head below the ceiling while carrying a large case. "Got a new toy for you," Toph said as she set the case on the floor. She opened the case with metalbending and pulled out a pair of shields. One was circular and the other was a larger triangle, both red and blue with a white star.

"More shields?" Shran questioned, taking the shields from Toph. The smaller shield seemed far too light for its size. "What's so special about these?"

Toph pulled both fists back and punched with them, giving Shran only a second to react and raise both shields. On impact the larger triangle shield crumpled around Toph's arm, but the other made Toph's fist bounce off with more force than the blow impacted. Toph pulled the twisted metal off her arm while Shran stared at the smaller shield.

"Now you know," Toph said.

"Unbendable metal?" Shran Raiden muttered, strapping the shield to his arm. "Why not make it bigger?"

"That's all the pure vibranium we have," Toph answered. She felt someone else approach the airship, then turned to leave. "Your new partner is here, have fun."

"Partner?" Shran Raiden questioned.

After Toph climbed out of the airship Shran saw someone else climb in, a short muscular man with black hair and sideburns. He wore a black military uniform, but with thick leather gloves covering his forearms. A patch resembling a red leaf had been stitched over the chest of the uniform, the symbol of a province in the northern Earth Kingdom.

"What are you looking at, bub?"

"Nothing," Shran Raiden said. He partially stood up and offered his hand to greet the man. "What's your name?"

The stranger didn't accept the handshake, walking past Shran and taking a seat. "Call me Logan."

Shran thought that was an odd name, but also thought asking about it wasn't a good idea. Instead he sat back down and waited for the airship to take off. The door to the airship closed and it took off into the sunset. Dusk turned to night while the airship flew away from Republic City, keeping as low to the ground as possible.

During the flight a door to the ship's cockpit opened and another man walked inside. He was a dark skinned bald man with a patch over his left eye. "I'm only going to brief you two once, so pay attention."

"Yes Commander Fury sir," Shran Raiden said.

"There's an encampment of imprisoned nonbenders near Po Lao, you two are going to liberate them," Fury explained. "Once you succeed, the army will move in and lay siege to the enemy forces without risking civilian casualties. You're going to drop in hard and fast."

"How fast?" Logan asked.

"Let me put it this way," Fury said. "You don't get parachutes."

Suddenly the airship struck a high wall and broke through it, rocking everyone inside. The door of the airship opened to let Captain Republic and Logan leap out, falling only ten feet to the ground. Wooden buildings filled the area within a long wall, some of which had their roofs bashed in by the passing airship. Benders patrolling the grounds were stunned at the sheer boldness of the attack, focusing their attention on the airship instead of the two people it dropped off.

Cap threw his new shield at the enemy benders, ricocheting off four of them before returning to him. Logan raised both arms and squeezed his fists, mechanically sliding hidden metal blades out of each glove. Three metal blades from the back of each hand, and Logan used them to slash apart everyone that got in his way. Bodies fell as Logan and Cap headed for the largest building in the camp, a long warehouse filled with nonbenders. Logan slashed his blades through wooden doors and Cap kicked them in, finding hundreds of nonbenders surprised to see rescue.

"Everyone out!" Cap yelled. He heard fireblasts coming from behind and raised his shield in time to block the flames. A shield throw took out the firebender and a few others before coming back. "We're getting all of you to safety!"

Most of the nonbenders immediately obeyed the order, following Logan as he cleared a path to the broken part of the wall. But one nonbender stopped in front of Cap, a farmer by the look of his dirty and ragged clothing. "My son, they took him away! Please, you have to find him!"

"Where did they take him?" Cap asked.

"I don't know!" the farmer answered.

"Don't worry, I'll find your son," Cap promised. He gently pushed the farmer towards the other nonbenders, before turning towards another building in the camp.

As he ran through the camp more benders got in Cap's way. Fire and earth were bent at him, but blocked with his shield. Cap charged at the benders and bashed each bender away with the shield, clearing a way through them. At the next building Cap kicked in the door, seeing a firebender inside charging a bolt of lightning.

Cap raised his shield in time to block the lightning attack, reflecting it back at the firebender. Other benders inside hesitated just long enough for Cap to throw the shield, hitting bender after bender until all of them fell. After catching his shield Cap looked around the room, finding a little boy with white hair tied to a post. Cap walked to the boy and cut the robes with the edge of the shield, releasing him.

"Are you alright?" Cap asked, helping the boy to his feet.

The boy shook his head, shuddering in fear. "Those mean benders, they were going to kill me."

"You're going to be safe," Cap said, though it didn't stop the boy from shuddering. "What's your name?"

"Len Sherr."

Sudden fireblasts from outside interrupted the conversation, requiring Cap to raise his shield to protect himself and Len Sherr. Earthbended rocks and frozen blocks of water followed, keeping Cap pinned down. Then he heard snarling from outside, and looked in time to see metal blades stab through the benders from behind. Logan slew the benders attacking Cap, then glared at him.

"Pick up that kid, it's time to go!" Logan yelled.

Immediately Cap picked up Len Sherr and carried him on his back. He ran out of the building towards the broken wall with Logan at his side. "You got everyone else out?" Cap asked.

"All but you," Logan answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flare, then lit it with a spark from his metal blades. Logan threw the flare into a building to set it on fire, the signal to tell the army to begin their assault.

Just when Cap crossed through the broken wall he heard airships fly overhead, delivering troops to man the attack. Bombs were dropped on the remaining buildings in the camp, finishing the job Cap and Logan had started. When they reached the liberated nonbenders Cap set Len Sherr on the ground, smiling as he watched a father reunite with his son.

* * *

"_News from the Front!_

"_Yakone's forces pinned down! Only Yu Dao remains under supremacist control, under siege by the United Republic army. It's only a matter of time before the scourge of our time is brought to justice. Avatar Aang and Captain Republic personally set out to capture Yakone, to bring this rebellion to an end."_

A deflected earthbending attack smashed a storefront radio in the streets of Yu Dao, the second largest city in the United Republic of Nations. Supremacist troops were gradually falling back towards Yakone's Command Center at the center of the city, unable to hold their position when Avatar Aang arrived to assist the army at the front of the siege. Every element clashed in the streets of Yu Dao, the conflict only slowing down Avatar Aang's advance.

One waterbender found an opening to strike the Avatar from behind cover, but was stopped by a thrown shield striking his head. Captain Republic caught the returning shield while running beside Avatar Aang, striking those who got too close. With power from the Avatar State Aang airbended a whirlwind large enough to catch a hundred benders in it, while Cap threw his shield into the air currents to barrage every bender with it.

When they reached the Command Center Aang broke down the door with earthbending. More benders were inside, ready to defend themselves. "Where's Yakone?" Aang demanded.

The benders attacked with earth and fire, but those elements were deflected with water and air. Aang bent the rock beneath the feet of his opponent, sinking them up to their necks. He continued through the Command Center with Cap behind him, tossing aside all who tried to get in their way. Some enemy benders retreated down stairs, showing the way into the heart of Yakone's base.

Inside a stairwell Aang formed one of his iconic air spheres, then rode it down the stairs faster than anyone could climb. He formed a second air sphere for Cap to follow on, quickly bringing both of them to the bottom. Cap kicked down a door and Aang blasted air through it, blowing away everyone on the other side.

Passing through the door Aang and Cap found themselves inside a massive underground hangar. A large but sleek airship was starting to take off, pointed towards an opening nearly five miles away. Unlike conventional airships, this one had broad wings and used propellers to move forward on wheels until it could be fast enough to achieve flight.

"Hang on!" Aang yelled. He bent a stone pillar out of the floor to launch himself and Cap upward, then grabbed Cap's arm and used airbending to steer them towards the airship. After landing on the airship's hull Aang used firebending to melt his way through the metal.

"After you," Cap said, gesturing to the new hole.

Aang blasted air through the hole before jumping in, followed by Cap as the airship accelerated. They could feel the airship start to rise up as it achieved sufficient speed, and saw sunlight shine through the hole as the airship flew out of the end of the hangar. Emerging from a behind a large waterfall on a cliff outside Yu Dao the airship fly away from the city.

Captain Republic found a window in the metal hallway of the airship, seeing the ground drop away as the airship rose into the sky. "Where's Yakone going? There's nothing left for him."

Worry spread over Aang's face, thinking of several ways an airship of this size could be used for destruction. He hurried through the metal hallways and blasting away anyone that tried to stop him. One door led into the center of the airship, onto a catwalk over the airship's cargo hold. It was filled with hundreds of large bombs, designed to explode on impact after a long fall.

"Spirits no…" Aang muttered. There was enough ordinance on board to completely destroy Republic City.

"We need to ground this bird as quickly as possible," Cap said, seeing the same possibilities that Aang did.

Hurrying through the airship Aang and Cap forced their way to the cockpit at the front, neutralizing every bender that got in their way. There was a locked door between the cockpit and the rest of the airship, which Aang melted through with sustained firebending. A triage of elements was fired through the ruined door, which Cap deflected with his shield. Aang blasted fire and air through the door at the benders inside, tossing them into tubs of water and caches of earth that had been used for ammunition.

Crossing the threshold into the cockpit, Aang saw Yakone operating the helm. "It's over Yakone, surrender!"

Yakone twisted a knob to lock the helm controls in place, allowing the airship to continue flying straight without a pilot. He stood up and straightened his brown suit before turning around, showing off a badge below the shoulder that resembled a red skull. "Avatar Aang, Captain Republic, such an odd duo you two make."

"Stop stalling," Cap said, about to throw his shield.

With a sneer on his face Yakone reached forward with one arm, and sudden pain rippled through Aang and Cap. Bending the water in their flesh, Yakone immobilized his enemies. "You're really on the wrong side here Avatar. Why do you protect those nonbenders when you yourself possess all four bending abilities?"

Aang struggled against the grip of bloodbending, but didn't understand how it was possible in the middle of the day. "How are you doing this? Without a full moon?"

Squeezing his hand to increase the pain, Yakone laughed. "To keep it simple, my power has evolved beyond the usual waterbenders."

"You're not getting away with this," Cap said, trying to fight against the bloodbending. His arm holding the shield moved back and forth a few inches, enough to toss the shield towards Yakone. The shield rolled on its side across the floor, hitting Yakone's leg. A second of pain broke Yakone's concentration, allowing Cap to charge at him.

Yakone dodged a punch and used bloodbending to pin Cap to the helm. Holding Cap there with his right arm, Yakone used his left to force Aang up to the ceiling. "Nice try, but you won't stop me that easily," Yakone gloated.

Though his whole body was pinned to the helm, Cap had enough strength to slide his hand across the controls. He found the knob that locked the helm and twisted it, releasing the airship from automatic flight. Immediately the airship swerved the right, knocking Yakone off his feet and releasing his enemies from the bloodbending. Aang fell to the floor while Cap grabbed the controls to stabilize the airship's flight.

Before Yakone could recover and bloodbend again, Aang airbent a gust of wind strong enough to pin Yakone to the wall. With waterbending Aang made clamps of ice that held Yakone while he moved closer, placing one hand on Yakone's chest and the other on the forehead. "I'm taking away your bending, for good!"

Cap watched as Aang's eyes and tattoos glowed for a few seconds, and when it ended Yakone passed out from the experience of having his bending removed. Looking through the windshield Cap saw Republic City on the horizon and starting turning the airship around. While taking the airship north Cap noticed a fuel gauge on the controls, and that there only enough for a one-way trip to Republic City.

"This is bad, very bad," Cap said. He turned towards Aang while keeping one hand on the helm. "This airship will crash before we can reach a landing strip."

Aang grunted and clenched a fist in frustration. "Yakone planned to die with Republic City."

"We can't let this airship's payload hit the countryside," Cap said, steering the craft towards the sea. "I'm putting her down in the water."

"The impact will kill everyone on board!" Aang yelled.

"We can't stop that!" Cap yelled back. "Or would you prefer to let the explosives start the worst fire since the Hundred Year War?"

Grinding his teeth, Aang realized there was no way to save everyone. He removed the ice bonds holding Yukone to the wall and picked him up. "Let's go!"

Adjusting several dials and levers Cap made the airship fly as fast as it could. "Someone has to make sure this thing goes down, and the world needs Avatar Aang more than Captain Republic."

Aang sighed, knowing what Cap implied. "It's been an honor," Aang said with a salute.

Cap saluted back and watched Aang leave with Yakone as a war prisoner. In the hallway the Avatar firebended another wide hole in the airship's roof and leaped out with his prisoner, airbending a large sphere of wind around himself for stable flight. Avatar Aang watched the airship crash into the sea and vanish in the cold depths, where the ocean currents would carry the wreck north into the frozen wastes at the top of the world.

* * *

**Present Day**

Shran Raiden woke up in a hospital bed, hearing soothing music coming from beyond the white walls around him. On a nearby table was the shield he would carry into battle, as well as his Captain Republic uniform that was neatly folded. A nurse stepped outside to tell someone that Shran was awake, and a moment later a woman in a police uniform walked inside.

While groaning Shran sat up in the bed, looking at the stranger with scars on her cheek. "Where am I?" Shran asked.

Lin Bei Fong studied Shran, wondering how anyone besides an Avatar could have survived being frozen for decades. "The question isn't where, but _when_."

"What?" Shran muttered.

"You've been asleep for a long time Captain," Lin said. "You ended Yakone's rebellion forty two years ago."

Silence reigned as Shran processed the revelation, that everyone thought he was dead. His thoughts drifted to that fateful day in the airship, where he knew history would say Captain Republic perished. "How am I still alive?"

"We can only guess that a side effect of Project Rebirth made you durable enough to survive freezing," Lin explained.

The mentioning of Project Rebirth made Shran think of the last person he saw before crashing that airship. "I suppose this must be what Aang felt like after his hundred years on ice. I don't suppose I can talk with him and discuss it?"

"About the Avatar…" Lin muttered, avoiding eye contact. "I'm sure she would like to hear all about it."

Shran blinked twice. "_She?_"

_A/N: So glad I waited until after the season 1 finale to post this chapter. Originally the little boy Cap saved was going to be Amon, but (SPOILER WARNING) it turns out Amon wasn't even born until after Yakone is debended._


	5. Some Assembly Required

_A/N: Now that the origin stories for the superpowered heroes are out of the way, the pieces can finally start being put together._

Chapter 5: Some Assembly Required

"What the hell happened here?" Mako muttered on arrival at Air Temple Island.

After staying at a hospital for a few days to recover from his battle with Amon's Chief Lieutenant in the warehouse Mako finally returned home. The damaged Iron Man armor was in pieces and contained inside a large trunk Mako dragged behind him. All over the island Air Acolytes were cleaning up debris and repairing Tenzin's home. Over a dozen wrecked robots had been piled together, and Mako saw Asami picking through the pieces.

While examining an intact piston Asami glanced around, and then stuffed it into a bag. Another glance showed her Mako walking towards her with the large trunk in tow. Immediately Asami dropped her bag and ran towards Mako, hugging him hard enough to hurt. "Are you okay?" Asami asked.

"I'm fine," Mako answered.

Out of nowhere Asami slapped Mako. "I told you it was a trap!"

Mako gestured to the damage around the island. "More like a distraction," Mako corrected, suspecting that Amon didn't want the new Iron Man person interfering with the attack on the island. "Did anyone get hurt here?"

"A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing life threatening," Asami answered. She turned back to the pile of spare parts and started sifting through them again. "On the positive side, we got enough material here to make several suits of armor."

"About the armor," Mako muttered, dragging the trunk up to Asami. "I kind of… broke it."

"What!" Asami yelled, making nearby people wince. Immediately she opened up the trunk and peered inside, finding one of the legs reduced to scraps and the rest appeared slightly crushed. "This must have hurt real bad."

"Yea, Lin had to bring me to the hospital," Mako said.

Asami slapped Mako again. "_Lin_ saw you take this off?"

"She didn't tell anyone," Mako reasoned.

Slamming the trunk shut, Asami sighed. "Let's just get this thing repaired."

* * *

Meanwhile Bolin was in his room trying on various shirts, searching for a style that could be discarded at a moment's notice. A loose fitting open vest with short sleeves caught his eye, as it would take only a few seconds to remove. Bolin couldn't afford to waste his money on replacing clothing every time the Hulk emerged.

Checking his fashion sense in a mirror, Bolin felt it was good enough. He left his room and walked outside, giving the Air Acolytes plenty of space as they continued repairing Tenzin's home. Wandering the island took him towards the cliffs, where the meditation gazebo still stood untouched by the Equalist attack. Bolin found Tenzin and his kids there doing their daily meditation exercises.

"Hey Tenzin," Bolin said as he approached. "May I join you?"

Without opening his eyes Tenzin said "Of course."

Bolin sat down next to Jinora, trying to mimic the cross legged pose the airbenders were using. "So how does this work?"

"Just relax, and let your mind and spirit be free," Tenzin instructed.

Closing his eyes and listening to the wind, Bolin tried to clear his mind. But his thoughts kept turning towards the Hulk and the danger it was to everyone around Bolin. Anger was the trigger for the transformation, which Bolin wanted to be able to control. Meditation was known for keeping one's emotions in check, and Bolin hoped it would keep the Hulk in check as well.

_Smash…_

Bolin's eyes opened wide, thinking that he was losing his mind. No one else seemed to notice, but Bolin felt another presence with him. Taking a deep breath and letting it out Bolin closed his eyes again, trying to shut out everything. But in the black of his mind's eye Bolin saw the green face of the Hulk emerge and overwhelm him, gasping in reality and feeling cold sweat on his skin.

"Are you alright?" Tenzin asked.

"I'm fine," Bolin lied. He stood up and bowed to Tenzin. "I don't think meditation is right for me."

* * *

On the other side of the island Korra was venting frustration from being caught off guard by Equalists. She earthbended a statue of Amon out of the ground, then smashed it into rubble with her hammer. Repeating the action again and again Korra wished it was the real Amon. All she needed to make it happen for real was Amon's location, but she didn't have any leads.

After the fifteenth destroyed statue Korra dropped the hammer onto the ground and walked towards the house. How only she could lift it was a question Korra didn't know how to answer, or how she could mentally summon the hammer by reaching towards it. With distance from the hammer Korra's mystically altered clothing reverted back to her normal Water Tribe clothes. But on her way back to the house Korra found a particular councilman about to enter.

"Tarrlok," Korra said. "What are you doing here?"

"Avatar Korra, just the person I wanted to see," Tarrlok said. Before he could continue an Air Acolyte passed between them carrying a new window for the house. "So sorry to hear about the attack here."

"What do you care?" Korra asked. "Last time I checked, you hated Tenzin."

"But I hate the Equalists even more," Tarrlok argued. "Anyway, I wanted to see if you would be rejoining my task force."

"And where was that task force during the attack?" Korra demanded. She tapped her chin, as if pondering the question. "Oh yeah… you had every last cop in that police raid and got their butts handed to them by the Hulk!"

"That beast was not supposed to be there!" Tarrlok yelled.

"But it was awfully convenient for the Equalists!" Korra yelled back. "While you deal with that pest problem I'll be striking back against Amon."

"Unless you rejoin my task force, stay out of my way," Tarrlok ordered.

"No," Korra said. "I'm going to be hitting them hard, and hitting them now!" Korra slammed one fist into her palm. "Precisely where it hurts!"

* * *

By nightfall Asami and Mako finished repairing the Iron Man armor, recycling the unbendable platinum alloy from Equalist machines. Mako put the armor on without the helmet, taking that one piece apart and hooking it on the back of the armor just below the shoulders. He covered up the red metal with leather clothes three sizes too big for him normally, as well as a trench coat to distract from the too large outfit. Leaving Asami's rebuilt workshop Mako and Asami planned to head into Republic City to test the repaired armor without leaving a trail of flames by flying there.

But on the way towards the ferry they crossed paths with Korra. On sight Korra started laughing at Mako. "What on Earth are you wearing?"

"Hey, it's cold out tonight," Mako made up.

"I don't feel a chill," Korra said.

"You're from the South Pole," Mako argued. "Our coldest winters probably feel like summer there."

"Then explain him," Korra said, pointing towards Bolin walking towards them.

"What'd I do?" Bolin asked, raising both hands in surrender.

Mako saw the open vest his brother wore, wondering if Bolin had lost his fashion sense. "Since when do wear that?"

"Right back at you," Bolin said.

Asami put her hand on her forehead, getting annoyed at the direction the conversation was going. "Can we just get going already?"

"We?" Korra asked.

"You're not the only one who wants payback on the Equalists," Asami said.

"Alright," Korra said. She whistled and a moment later Naga arrived. Korra jumped onto the saddle followed by the others, and immediately Naga threw all of them off. Mako ended up on top of Korra, pinning her to the ground. "Mako, have you been putting on weight?"

"Sorry," Mako said, quickly getting up to take the weight of the hidden armor off Korra.

"Anyone have any other ideas?" Korra asked.

"I think I have the answer," Asami said.

One quick ferry ride to the mainland later and Asami took everyone to a garage near the port, where she had hidden away a spare black satomobile. Being the only one present with a driver's license Asami had to get behind the wheel while everyone else climbed into the other three seats. Korra took the passenger seat while Mako sat behind Asami and Bolin was behind Korra. The satomobile sped off into the streets of Republic City, in search of Equalists to punish.

While driving through downtown east of the police station a radio in the satomobile picked up a signal from a cop dispatcher. _"Calling all units, level four alert, jailbreak at headquarters! Officers down, electrocuted. Chi blockers and Equalist convicts are still at large, armed and dangerous. Last seen heading east…"_

As if on cue a hijacked police van accompanied by Equalists on motorcycles sped across the intersection in front the satomobile, forcing Asami to hit the brakes to avoid a collision. "Finally," Asami muttered.

"Let's get them," Korra said.

Asami slammed her foot down on the gas pedal and sped after the Equalists, shifting the satomobile into high gear as it accelerated. Oncoming traffic swerved around the Equalist vehicles and into Asami's path, forcing her to swerve around them. A truck drove across the street the chase was on, blocking the view of the Equalists.

"Korra, Bolin, we need a ramp," Asami ordered. She saw the earthbenders start to make one, but Asami wasn't certain if thirty miles per hour was fast enough to make the jump. "Mako, a turbo boost would be helpful right now."

Mako yanked off a leather glove covering the metal gauntlet over his left hand and aimed the palm behind the vehicle. Holding onto his seat with his right hand and bracing his legs against Asami's seat Mako blasted fire through the gauntlet's chi enhancer. Enough thrust nearly doubled the speed of the satomobile, easily making the jump over the truck. Korra and Bolin felt like they were pinned to their seats from the acceleration.

After being in the air for several seconds the satomobile came back down on top of an Equalist motorcycle, its rider jumping off at the last second to avoid getting crushed. Asami shifted the vehicle into high gear and drove beside the stolen van while Korra firebended at the other motorcycles. Mako started using the circular arm motions for bending lightning, but right before firing it he aimed his left palm at the target instead of his fingers. Thick lightning shot out of Mako's palm and hit the van's engine, ruining it and making the vehicle crash. Mako discreetly put the leather glove back on over the metal gauntlet and watched Bolin use earthbending to knock over the remaining motorcycles.

With the escape attempt thwarted Korra and the others rounded up the Equalists and waited for the police to arrive. Reporters got there first, taking pictures of the captured Equalists as well as the people that caught them. By the time the police arrived on the scene the reporters were already writing the story for articles in the morning edition newspaper. Accompanying the police was Councilman Tarrlok, and he was not happy with the situation.

"Avatar Korra, what do you think you're doing?" Tarrlok demanded.

"Oh hey Tarrlok, nice you to finally show up," Korra said, enjoying the opportunity to mock Tarrlok. "Here, we captured the escaped convicts for you."

Tarrlok watched his officers take the captured Equalists and shove them into police vans. "In case you haven't noticed, police forces are spread thin dealing with the Hulk."

"No they're not," Bolin blurted out.

"And what would you know about that?" Tarrlok asked, genuinely wondering how Bolin spotted the lie.

"Shutting up now," Bolin said.

"Thought so," Tarrlok said. He turned his attention back Korra. "I'll ask you one last time Avatar, stay out of my way."

Korra watched Tarrlok leave in a police van, standing by her friends until the cops were all gone. Ignoring Tarrlok's demand they all got back into Asami's satomobile and drove off, resuming patrol of the city. Before long it became clear why the cops weren't present during the Equalist escape attempt, as the radio picked up a signal stating where the cops were.

"_All available units, please respond to the fifty sixth hundred block of Dragon Flats Burrow. Equalists have taken to the streets, consider them armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution."_

Immediately Asami started driving towards Dragon Flats Burrow, a district of the city that mainly housed nonbenders. Half a dozen police airships hovered over the burrow shining spotlights into dark streets. The power was out in the entire district and large crowds filled the streets protesting. Police had set up a barricade around the people, only making tensions worse.

"Why is the power out?" Korra questioned as the satomobile drove into the dark streets.

Asami parked the satomobile outside the police barricade and everyone stepped out of the vehicle. As they walked towards the crowd Chief Saikhan stood on top of a van with a microphone in hand. "All nonbenders, return to your homes immediately!"

Noise from the crowd only increased as nearly all of them demanded that the police turn the power back on. A little girl saw Korra on the other side of the barricade and told her mother. The crowd moved towards Korra but couldn't go past the barricade and cops in the way. "Please help us," the mother asked. "You're our Avatar too."

Korra shoved a pair of cops out of her way and addressed the crowd. "Everyone please stay calm. I'm gonna put a stop to this." A quick glance around found a single electric light still working from inside a tent. Standing outside of the tent was Councilman Tarrlok giving orders to a policeman. Korra approached Tarrlok with her friends behind her. "Tarrlok, you need to turn the power back on and leave these people alone!"

"Avatar Korra, you and your playmates have no business here," Tarrlok argued.

"I'm afraid we do," Mako said, sorely tempted to punch Tarrlok with a metal fist. "These people have done nothing wrong."

"They are Equalists," Tarrlok stated.

"If that was true you wouldn't be able to hold them here!" Mako yelled. "You've never fought Equalists face to face!"

"And you have?" Tarrlok questioned. "You may have been a pro bending player, but you're no Iron Man."

While Mako considered punching Tarrlok right then and there Asami interrupted. "These are just innocent people who want their rights back."

"They are the enemy," Tarrlok stated, refusing to see reason. He turned to the officers and ordered "Round up these Equalists!"

"Wait!" Bolin pleaded, stepping in front of Tarrlok. "Before you arrest anyone, ask yourself this. What would Captain Republic do?"

"I wouldn't arrest these people!"

Every head turned upward towards the voice that interrupted, seeing the man with a shield standing on the roof of a short building next to the tent. Captain Republic jumped off the roof and fell three stories, bending his legs to absorb the impact of the landing. He gave everyone a moment to observe his uniform, allowing gossip to spread through the crowd. Slowly Cap walked towards Tarrlok, a man that seemed all too familiar.

Korra stared at Cap, looking like she'd seen a ghost. "You're alive?"

Tarrlok wasn't convinced that he was facing Captain Republic. "Men, arrest this impostor!"

Before the cops could follow the order Cap was already throwing his shield, hitting several officers before it returned to him. "Still think I'm an impostor?" Cap asked.

One cop tried to metalbend the shield away from Cap, but it didn't respond to the bending. Tarrlok saw the attempt, confirming that the shield was authentic. "Alright, you've gotten my curiosity," Tarrlok admitted.

"Let these people go!" Cap demanded.

"No," Tarrlok said.

The cops took that refusal as the order to arrest the nonbenders. As a group they started metalbending the barricades into restraints that bound dozens at a time, then earthbent the ground to lift them up. Immediately Korra started earthbending the rising stone back to the ground, allowing some of the nonbenders to slip out of the restraints. Cap hurried to the nonbenders and started helping them get away.

Tarrlok grunted as he watched the Avatar defy him yet again. In retaliation he bent some water into a robe that snared Asami's arm, pulling her away from the others. "You're under arrest!"

"What!" Mako yelled. "You can't do that!"

"Actually I can," Tarrlok said, passing off Asami to a pair of cops that restrained her. "She's a nonbender out past curfew and her father was a known Equalist conspirator."

"Hiroshi died to protect her!" Mako yelled. He raised his fists, ready to fight Tarrlok if necessary. "Let her go!"

"Arrest him and his brother," Tarrlok ordered.

Metal cables from nearly every direction wrapped around Mako and Bolin, dragging them towards the police vans. Bolin focused on keeping his anger suppressed, refusing to let the Hulk out near so many people. Mako faked the pain of being squeezed by the cables, feeling none of it through the hidden armor.

"Tarrlok!" Korra yelled, earthbending large chunks of rock from the ground. She thought about summoning the hammer, but it would take too long to get there from Air Temple Island.

"Unless you want to join your friends in prison I suggest you put those down and go back to the air temple," Tarrlok advised.

"Korra, it's not worth it," Mako said. He saw Bolin get shoved into one van with Asami, while he was handcuffed and placed in another with a random nonbender.

Trusting her friend's advice, Korra put the rocks back into the ground. "I'll call Tenzin, he can get you out."

As the vans drove away Tarrlok took the opportunity to gloat over Korra. "So sad to see your little team broken up. You had a good run."

"This isn't over," Korra promised.

"Oh, I believe it is," Tarrlok argued.

* * *

Mako waited until the van was a few miles away from the scene before standing up inside. Using the armor's augmented strength he snapped the handcuffs off his wrists, surprising the nonbender man in the van with him. He looked through the window between the back of the van and the driver's seat, finding the two cops in front unaware that he was about to break out.

"Don't tell anyone what you're about to see," Mako whispered to the nonbender.

Without warning Mako punched through the window with both of his fists, grabbing the heads of both cops and slamming them together. Both cops were out cold and the van swerved to the right before Mako grabbed the wheel. He steered the runaway van into an alley where it crashed into a dumpster. Mako kicked the back doors of the van open and stepped outside with the nonbender.

"How did you do that?" the nonbender asked.

Instead of answering the question Mako took off the trench coat he wore along with the bulky clothing, revealing the Iron Man armor to the nonbender. He tossed the spare clothing to the nonbender and reached behind his back to unhook the pieces of the helmet. "I'll want those clothes back," Mako said as he reassembled the helmet.

"Yes sir, Iron Man," the nonbender promised.

Once the helmet was in one piece Mako put it on. He blasted fire down and took flight, leaving behind the nonbender in the alley. Mako headed straight for City Hall, wanting a word with Councilman Tarrlok as Iron Man.

* * *

Meanwhile Bolin had also waited until the van he was in was several miles away from the scene. But he had calmed down during that time, in spite of being on his way to a prison cell. The cops hadn't handcuffed Bolin since there was the possibility that he could just metalbend them off, but Bolin wasn't going to correct that assumption. Instead he took off the vest he wore, surprising Asami.

"What are you doing?" Asami asked, wondering if she should be looking away.

"Hit me," Bolin asked.

"Excuse me?" Asami questioned, thinking that he misheard Bolin.

"Just do it," Bolin said.

Asami stood up and slapped Bolin. "Happy?"

"Harder," Bolin asked, not feeling angry enough.

Asami stomped on Bolin's foot, then stepped back when he winced in pain. "Have you lost it?"

"Harder!" Bolin yelled, feeling some anger in him.

Asami jammed her knee right between Bolin's legs. "That's the hardest I can do."

Nearly doubling over in pain, Bolin felt his muscles start to grow larger. "That should do it," he muttered as his skin turned green.

"What the…" Asami muttered as she watched Bolin's size increase, filling up the back of the van. "_You're_ the Hulk?"

The Hulk stretched his limbs and tore through the walls of the van, surprising the cops in the front. Hulk ripped off the roof and grabbed the cops, throwing them into the streets as the ruined vehicle spun out of control. Before a crash Hulk picked up Asami and leaped away, landing on top of a building and leaving a small crater in the roof.

"Where Ponytail Man?" Hulk demanded.

Asami gulped, then pointed towards City Hall. "That way, I think."

* * *

After figuring out how to drive a satomobile Korra drove Asami's car back to the port near the ferry to Air Temple Island, nearly ruining the stick-shift engine in the process and crashing into a lamppost. She didn't care about the vehicle, figuring that Asami could afford a dozen more just like it. Korra discretely entered a nearby alley that had a clear view of Air Temple Island, then reached towards the island with one arm. Across the bay the hammer left there lifted itself off the ground and flew straight to Korra, breaking through trees that happened to be in the way.

Korra caught the hammer and immediately felt it grant her its power. Mystical power replaced her shirt with the platemail and cape, making Korra wonder if that effect could be turned off. She felt out of place with the strange outfit on. After checking to see if anyone had noticed her, Korra started spinning the hammer around until it blurred and threw it upward, holding onto the handle and letting the momentum carry her with it. She soared into the sky and landed on a high rooftop several blocks away.

"I need more practice with this," Korra muttered, rubbing her shoulder. She repeated the action with less force, hopping from one building to the next and heading towards City Hall. When Korra reached her destination she entered an alley behind it and waited for her arm to stop hurting from the stress of hammer based travel.

Right when Korra felt she was ready to confront Tarrlok inside City Hall she heard the sound of flames roaring above. Looking up she saw a trail of flames arcing towards the building, and a red metal man at the front. The flames ceased above City Hall as Iron Man landed on the roof, making Korra wonder why he was there. Using the hammer throw trick one more time Korra threw herself onto the roof next to Iron Man.

"Korra, what are you doing here?" Mako asked.

Not recognizing the voice rendered metallic by the helmet, Korra kept on hand on her hammer. "Did Tarrlok arrest your friends too?"

"Yes, actually," Mako answered. Before he could continue a loud roar echoed across the city, and in the distance Mako spotted a large green man leaping towards City Hall. "Oh you have got to be kidding, the Hulk is here too?"

"Just how many people has Tarrlok made enemies of?" Korra asked.

Mako glanced at the hammer Korra carried, hoping that she knew how to use it. "I think this is a job for the Avatar."

"Wait, what?" Korra questioned.

One final leap for the Hulk brought him onto the roof of City Hall, leaving a small crater in it on impact. "Where Ponytail Man? Hulk Smash Ponytail Man!"

Leaning towards Korra, Mako whispered "Think we should let him?"

"I need Tarrlok alive," Korra whispered back.

Hulk didn't wait for anyone to answer him, smashing through the roof of City Hall and plummeting inside. He landed inside Tarrlok's office, surprising the councilman and his elderly assistant. Korra jumped into the hole in the roof and slammed her hammer on Hulk's head, then swung it into Hulk's shoulder and sent him through a wall back outside. For a second Korra glared at Tarrlok, then leapt outside to keep the Hulk at bay.

Completely baffled by what just happened, Tarrlok stared at the damage to his office. The artificial waterfall behind his desk continued to flow, but the wall behind it had a few cracks. Looking at the hole in the roof Tarrlok saw Iron Man drop in. "And I was only expecting Avatar Korra tonight," Tarrlok muttered.

"Sorry, you'll have to deal with me," Mako said, taking a few steps towards Tarrlok.

Tarrlok didn't take his eyes off Iron Man, but could hear his assistant trembling in shock. "Leave us alone," Tarrlok ordered. He knew it was just them in the office tonight, as the noise would have alerted anyone else in the building by now.

"But sir…"

"Now," Tarrlok interrupted. He waited for her to leave before addressing Iron Man. "So, what do you want?"

Rubble went flying through the office as a second hole was made in the wall by Hulk throwing Korra through it and leaping after her. Mako and Tarrlok watched them tumble into the main council room and continue fighting there. "Release everyone you've arrested tonight," Mako demanded.

Hearing lightning strike and Hulk roaring, Tarrlok wished that he could watch the fight. "Now why would you care about that?"

"You may think you're doing the right thing, but you're only making matters worse," Mako said. "Those arrests just handed Amon justification for his crusade."

Getting up from his desk Tarrlok turned towards the falling water behind it, using reflections in it to keep eye contact but appearing to be at ease. He could also see glimpses of the battle between Korra and the Hulk, seeing the Avatar get thrown into the ceiling only to come back down to slam the hammer into Hulk's back. "You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

"What did you have in mind?" Mako asked.

"Bring me the Hulk's head on a stick, and I'll release everyone you want," Tarrlok offered. He heard another wall elsewhere break down, assuming that one of the combatants had been thrown through it.

"No deal," Mako said, doubting if anyone could kill the Hulk. "I'm not doing your dirty work."

Tarrlok sighed and shook his head. "And I thought you could be a suitable partner." He bent water into a sharp blade that swiped at Iron Man, which he dodged and let the water hit a bookcase behind him.

Mako blasted fire at Tarrlok, but it was blocked by water bent into a sphere around the councilman. After letting the room fill up with steam Mako paused to see Tarrlok still standing behind the barrier of water. With quick jabs Tarrlok made dozens of ice daggers that flew towards Iron Man, striking the armor and leaving small dents and scratches in it. Blasting fire from his feet Mako made a large leap across the room, landing only a foot away from Tarrlok. A metal fist punched through the waterbending barrier and hit Tarrlok's chest, knocking him back against the wall.

Grabbing the councilman Mako threw Tarrlok into the main room and away from the water, rendering him powerless without his element. Following his opponent Mako leaped down into the main room, finding the main table and rows of seats destroyed. "No water in here, and I'm just getting warmed up."

Suddenly Mako felt his body stop moving, and then his limbs twist against his will. Tarrlok was reaching towards him and moving his hands, controlling the water in the body. "Iron shell with a watery core," Tarrlok muttered.

"Bloodbending?" Mako muttered, immobilized and in pain. "But there's no full moon."

"And you fly without Sozin's Comet," Tarrlok countered, making Mako's back arch back to stress the point. He made Mako's arms twist back as far as they would go, but the armor wouldn't twist far enough to let the arms break.

"This won't kill me," Mako said, realizing that his armor was preventing his body from tearing itself apart.

"So it would seem," Tarrlok commented. Since he couldn't kill Iron Man he grabbed the small generator in the armor's chest and removed it, disabling the armor's augmented strength and chi enhancers.

Suddenly something hit the wall of the building on the other side, denting it inward. Tarrlok took it as a sign that he should leave immediately with his hostage. As quickly as he could he retreated to the underground parking lot beneath the building, throwing Iron Man into the back of a van and driving off. On his way into the streets of Republic City he saw Korra jump above Hulk and slam her hammer into the green head, prompting Tarrlok to drive as fast the van could go.

Unaware that the mutual enemy was getting away, Korra's hammer met Hulk's fist. Combined force released a brief shockwave that cracked pavement beneath them. Hulk swung another fist but Korra ducked under it, then swung the hammer up into Hulk's jaw. A stray green hand grabbed Korra's waist and threw her into the wall of City Hall again.

After pausing for a moment, Hulk spat out a mouthful of blood. "Hammer Girl Hurt Hulk, HULK SMASH HAMMER GIRL!"

Korra summoned lightning to her hammer and fired it at Hulk, making him roar in pain. He charged at Korra and threw a punch that hit the wall as she ducked. Korra slammed the hammer onto Hulk's left foot and let go of it, pinning the foot to the floor. She rolled away from Hulk while he grabbed the hammer, trying to lift it off but failing.

With her opponent pinned in one place Korra threw her strongest firebending at the Hulk, scorching his large green chest. Both green fists hit the ground and earthbended a wave of rock at Korra, which she countered with her own earthbending wave. Both waves collided in between them and shattered into rubble and a cloud of dust that obscured the view of each other. Ripping chunks of rock out of the ground Hulk started throwing stone through the dust, while Korra could only dodge.

"What does it take to bring this guy down?" Korra muttered, starting to feel exhaustion set in. Alternating earth and firebending Korra barraged the Hulk, but it only seemed to make him madder.

Hulk grabbed the ground around his pinned foot and dug his fingers in, carving a hole around the hammer he couldn't lift. His weight made the rock below his foot tip over, allowing the hammer to fall off Hulk's foot. Now free Hulk leaped up and over to Korra, slamming his feet onto the ground to earthbend a shockwave that sent Korra tumbling away. Before she could recover Hulk grabbed Korra's chest and lifted her up, slowly squeezing the breath out of her.

"Hammer Girl think she stronger than Hulk? Hulk Strongest There Is!"

Gasping for breath in Hulk's green grip, Korra did the one thing she thought she would never have to do in her life. "I'm sorry," Korra apologized. "You win."

Slightly lessening his grip, Hulk let out a long sigh. "Good, maybe Hammer Girl not so stupid after all." Just for good measure Hulk slammed Korra into the ground, then let go and walked away.

Feeling like several bones were broken, Korra lay in her own little crater. Hearing Hulk leap away and then nothing, Korra let out a scream of pain. She was alone in the street, as everyone within several blocks had run away from the Hulk. After what felt like an hour Korra heard someone running towards her, and she painfully turned her head to see Asami approaching.

"Oh no," Asami let out, seeing the shape Korra was in. She hurried to Korra's side and checked for anything broken. "You need a doctor, now."

_A/N: One thing I didn't like about the Hulk vs. Thor fight in the The Avengers was that it was left unresolved, as there was no clear winner before Hulk was removed from the scene. The obvious reason for this was to prevent fans of the loser from complaining about it until the end of time. Honestly if the fight had reached a conclusion in the movie, I believe that Hulk would have won._


	6. Batteries Not Included

Chapter 6: Batteries Not Included

In the mountains that surrounded Republic City was a small cabin on a cliff, a summer retreat for Councilman Tarrlok. Late in the fall months there was snow covering the ground and trees nearby, and no one was expected to be there at this time of year. It was the last place anyone would look for a self-proclaimed hero that hadn't shown his face to the public.

With bloodbending Tarrlok suspended Iron Man in the air, holding the power generator in one hand. Tarrlok brought his prisoner into the basement and threw him into a metal box inside. Releasing his bloodbending grip Tarrlok closed and locked the metal box, trapping Iron Man inside. Without the generator to power the armor's augmented strength or chi enhancers, Iron Man was just as powerless as any other firebender would be.

Mako slammed his fist against the box, trying to force his way out. "You can't keep me in here forever!"

Tarrlok tossed the generator onto a workbench in the basement, confident that it would remain there. He didn't say a word while ignoring Iron Man's futile attempts to escape the box. Instead he left the cabin and got back in his van, driving away while subtly waterbending the snow behind him to erase tire tracks. During the long ride to Republic City he thought up a suitable story to cover up his actions.

* * *

Paramedics rushed Korra to the hospital in the small hours of the morning, the ambulance speeding through the streets with police escorts. The hospital doors were thrown open when the paramedics carried Korra on a stretcher inside the building, frantically bringing the Avatar to the emergency room. Once inside Korra was placed on a table while several healers got to work with waterbending, using it to gradually heal dark bruises and broken bones in Korra's body.

For hours Asami waited outside the emergency room for news on Korra's condition, falling asleep in a chair long enough for the sun to rise. She woke up finding Tenzin there arguing with doctors, trying to make them let him in to see Korra. Asami got up from her chair and approached Tenzin, ignoring a nearby radio playing the morning music hour.

Tenzin saw Asami and stopped pestering the doctors. "Asami, what happened out there?"

"The Hulk happened," Asami explained.

"And of course Korra had to fight it," Tenzin muttered.

"How is she?" Asami asked, looking at the door to the emergency room.

"Korra's lucky to be alive," Tenzin said. He saw a pair of medics carry a fresh tub of water into the emergency room to use in healing. "I'd bring mother here if she were fit to travel."

"I'm sure the doctors here are just as qualified," Asami assured.

A sudden interruption in the radio caught Asami and Tenzin's attention. _"We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report. Late last night Equalists unleashed the Hulk on City Hall, hospitalizing the Avatar, subduing Councilman Tarrlok, and capturing Iron Man. Details are still coming in…"_

Tenzin and Asami were so focused on the radio that they didn't see the woman that shut it off. Both looked higher to see Lin Bei Fong with her hand on the dial, wearing a coat over her police armor. "I came as soon as I heard," Lin said, walking up to Tenzin. "How long will it be until Korra is back on her feet?"

"A few days at least, even with all the healers here," Tenzin answered.

Lin glanced at Asami. "You and I need to talk in private."

"Talk about what?" Asami asked.

"Now," Lin insisted, grabbing Asami's arm and practically dragging her along.

Asami glared at Tenzin, who knew better than to stop Lin when she was serious. After getting dragged into the hallway Asami stopped resisting and walked beside Lin, entering an empty recovery room on the same floor of the hospital. Lin locked the door and closed blinds on every window, trying to make the room as secure as possible.

"What's this about?" Asami asked.

"I know about your boyfriend's new outfit, and that he's nowhere near smart enough to come up with it on his own," Lin explained.

"Oh, right," Asami muttered, remembering that Mako had been discovered as Iron Man by Lin. "I don't know where he is, I lost track after Tarrlok arrested us."

"Which you've both managed to escape from," Lin said. "Tarrlok claims that Equalists captured Iron Man. We have to find him before Amon takes his bending away."

"The two of us aren't going to have much of a chance rescuing him," Asami argued.

"Who said it was just the two of us?" Lin asked. She took Asami out of the recovery room and through the hallways of the hospital, exiting the building through a backdoor. A police issue satomobile was waiting in the alley along with two people standing beside it, one with a bow and quiver strapped to his back and the other with a shield.

"Tahno?" Asami questioned, recognizing him from the pro bending arena. "I wasn't expecting you to show up."

"I just want payback on Amon," Tahno said.

"Fair enough," Asami said. She looked at the other man, recognizing him from last night as Captain Republic. "Don't you need to sleep?"

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Cap answered.

"Come on," Lin ordered, already stepping into the driver's seat of the satomobile. "I've got a lead on where the Equalists are hiding."

Asami climbed into the passenger seat while Tahno and Cap sat in the back. Lin drove the vehicle out of the alley and into the streets, heading for one of the entrances to a network of tunnels beneath the city. It was near the warehouse that Lin had discovered Mako in several days ago, the tunnels used to transport the metal golem Amon's lieutenant had used without it being seen. After an hour of driving Lin parked the satomobile outside the warehouse.

"So where's this tunnel?" Asami asked as she climbed out of the satomobile.

Lin slammed a barefoot onto the ground, using earthbending to see everything in the immediate area. "Over here," Lin said and walked towards an underpass where the ground was lower than the streets. There was a tunnel blocked off by a grated wall, which Lin opened with metalbending.

Leaving the satomobile outside Lin and the others entered the tunnel, using flashlights to see with. Motorcycle tracks stretched into the distance, leaving a trail for a keen eye to follow. Along the way everyone heard motorcycle engines running, and hid until the vehicles passed. A wall opened up to let the motorcycles through and closed again, the riders unaware that they had been spotted entering an Equalist base.

Using more metalbending to open up the wall, Lin got everyone through. The hidden path led to an underground tram station, filled with equipment and trams that led down more tunnels. A pair of chi blockers were guarding the trams and directing other Equalists to send shipments of supplies down the tunnels.

"So where do you think they've keeping him?" Asami whispered.

Tahno pulled an arrow from his quiver that had a small canister attached to the shaft. He fired the arrow at the ground between the chi blockers, the impact opening the canister and releasing a cloud of green gas. The chi blockers collapsed when the breathed in the gas, which dispersed a moment later. Tahno casually walked over to the unconscious chi blocker and retrieved the arrow, putting it back in his quiver.

"What?" Tahno asked, seeing a look of disapproval on Lin's face.

Lin sighed while shaking her head. "You should have saved that one for later."

"Can we just hurry up before the alarm goes off?" Cap asked.

Asami walked over to one of the trams and climbed inside with the others, then pulled a lever to send it down the tunnel. A few minutes later the tram arrived at the other end of the tunnel, surprising Equalists that weren't expecting the tram to arrive. But before the Equalists could investigate Cap's shield struck one and bounced off the others before returning to him. As the tram stopped at a prison everyone climbed out of it, making sure the Equalists stayed down.

"Any sign of Iron Man?" Cap asked, nudging an unconscious Equalist with his boot.

Scanning the immediate area with earthbending, Lin shook her head. "I don't see him yet, but my officers are here."

Everyone headed up some stairs and into a hallway, finding more Equalists there. Tahno shot an arrow into the knee of one Equalist, bringing him down immediately without killing him. Cap bashed his shield into another, slamming the Equalist into a wall. Lin used metalbended cables to wrap up a pair of Equalists while Asami fought one hand to hand. Asami slammed her opponent against a wall and twisted his arm until the Equalist screamed in pain.

"Where are you keeping Iron Man?" Asami demanded, twisting the arm a little bit further.

"We don't have him," the Equalist answered. "Tarrlok's lying."

"I don't believe you," Tahno said, taking one arrow and holding the tip against the Equalist's throat. "Next I suppose you'll claim that you guys didn't unleash the Hulk?"

"Amon's ambitious, not stupid," the Equalist said. "He ordered us all to not engage the Hulk."

Asami let go of the Equalist and turned away, leaving Tahno to knock out the Equalist with blow to the head. "He isn't here," Asami muttered.

"You believe this guy?" Tahno questioned.

"He's right about one thing, Equalists didn't release the Hulk," Asami said.

"And how do you know that?" Lin asked.

Looking away from the others Asami sighed. "Because I did."

"What?" Cap questioned.

Lin stopped her search and stared at Asami. "Explain, now!"

Suddenly an alarm sounded throughout the Equalist base, and everyone could hear a distant tram approaching the prison. Cap raised his shield and prepared for battle. "I told you all to hurry up!" he yelled.

"Let's move!" Lin ordered. She hurried through the prison and found her officers in a cell. Four of them were inside, their bending already removed by Amon. Lin removed the bars with metalbending and helped the officers out.

A tram holding a dozen Equalists arrived at the prison, parking behind the one Lin and the others used to get there. It blocked off the tunnel while the passengers stepped out, chi blockers and fighters armed with electrical gloves. They rushed into the prison, finding intruders in the hallway that contained the cells. But as they entered the Equalist in front was struck down by an arrow sharp enough to plunge through his chest and into the chi blocker behind him. While the rest were surprised by the lethal force a handful were brought down by Cap's thrown shield.

"Did you have to kill those two?" Cap asked Tahno.

"Like they wouldn't do the same to us?" Tahno argued, firing another arrow at a chi blocker.

Asami grabbed an electrified glove and quickly modified it. Crossing a few wires the wrong way created a feedback loop inside, turning the weapon into a crude explosive. As power built up inside the glove Asami threw it into the Equalists, where it exploded and struck down the enemy. She ran past the fallen Equalists, looting a pair of electrical gloves on her way towards the trams.

Once everyone was on the tram Asami pulled the lever to make it move. But the tram stayed in place, frustrating her until she noticed sparks coming from a severed wire above the tram. "Great, they cut the power line behind them."

Lin started metalbending the tram to move the whole thing down the tunnel. The effort required all of Lin's concentration, and she couldn't notice Equalists in the tunnel on foot. Most of the Equalists heard and saw the tram coming and got out of the way, while a few unfortunate ones were run over. But behind the Equalists was one of Amon's robots, blocking the way as it slowly drove down the tunnel.

Tahno shot an arrow at the robot, breaking through a section of the windshield and killing the operator. The robot stopped in its tracks, but still blocked off the tunnel. "Umm, how are we getting past that?"

"We don't," Asami said. "We use it."

The tram stopped in front of the robot, unable to go further. Cap climbed up the robot and removed pieces of broken glass from the windshield, then grabbed the body inside and threw it out. Climbing inside the robot Cap sat down in the seat, placing his shield over the broken part of the windshield. He grabbed the controls, but had no idea how to use them.

"Anyone know how to work this thing?" Cap asked.

"Should be just like driving a Future Industries forklift," Asami instructed, remembering similar controls from the wrecks on Air Temple Island.

"And how do you work one of those?" Cap asked.

Asami grunted and put a hand to her forehead, remembering that there wasn't a Future Industries during the Yakone Rebellion. "There should be a stick by your feet, pull it all the way back and slam your foot on the pedal."

Following the instructions Cap shifted the robot into reverse, hearing gears screeching below him. He pushed the gas pedal to the floor, sending the robot towards the train station. It hit the sides of the tunnel every few seconds while Cap tried to figure out how to steer the machine. One of the arms broke off against the tunnel wall before Cap got the robot moving in a straight line. At the end of the tunnel the robot crashed into two more waiting at the station, knocking all three of them over.

A crowd of chi blockers stared at the collision in the station, wondering who was crazy enough to pull it off. Lin made the tram barge into the station, running over chi blockers that were in the way. She didn't stop for anything, focusing on keeping the tram moving without any guide rails to keep it on course. Tahno shot off several arrows at pursuing chi blockers, while Asami used her stolen electrical gloves on Equalists that got onto the tram.

"We have to go back for the Captain!" Asami demanded.

"He can handle himself!" Lin yelled, wanting to get her officers out of the base as quickly as possible.

* * *

Still in the station Cap climbed out of the hijacked robot, finding himself surrounded by Equalists. Three chi blockers moved in to strike him, but Cap dodged their attacks and bashed his shield into them one at a time. He threw the shield at more Equalists, watching it bounce off half a dozen of them before coming back.

"Stand down!"

Cap turned towards the new voice, coming from a hallway that led out of the station. He saw a man wearing a mask standing there, staring at him. "You must be Amon," Cap said.

"A pleasure to meet you," Amon said, taking slow steps towards Cap. Equalists stepped aside to give their leader a clear path. "I must admit, this is an encounter I did not anticipate."

Raising his shield, Cap expected a fight with Amon. But the enemy did not make a move to attack. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

"I do not wish to fight you," Amon said, surprising a few of his followers. "You're really on the wrong side here Captain. Why do you protect those benders when you yourself possess no bending?"

"Bending has nothing to do with this," Cap argued.

"Oh but it does," Amon countered. "You may have stopped the bending supremacists in your day, but the beliefs behind it remained and festered in the world. The government you fought for has betrayed its purpose, it has betrayed what you stood for."

"Is this really the time for a philosophical debate?" Cap asked, glancing around at the Equalists still surrounding him.

Amon snapped his fingers and jerked a thumb towards another door, ordering his followers to leave. Some of them thought about ignoring the order, but didn't voice their objections. They knew Amon could handle himself in a fight, but didn't like the idea of leaving him alone with the intruder. Once it was just Amon and Cap left in the station, Amon turned around and gestured for Cap to follow.

"If you wish to leave, I will not stop you," Amon promised, entering the hallway he had emerged from earlier. "But I encourage you to stay, and see why the revolution is necessary for our people."

Cap watched Amon walk into the hallway, wondering if he was being sincere. Cap started walking towards the exit, but stopped in the doorway. Doubt clouded his thoughts, as he had only heard Lin's side of the story behind the Equalist revolution. This world was not the one he had fought for in the past, and his knowledge of it was incomplete. With a sigh Cap turned around, judging that he should at least hear Amon out.

Finding Amon walking down the hallway, Cap stayed a few feet behind him. "Alright, I'm listening."

"Come," Amon said, taking a turn into a side passage. "There is something you must see."

While following Amon through the base Cap observed everything nearby, trying to memorize the path out in case something went wrong. There were more Equalists in the hallways, stepping aside as Amon walked by. They entered a larger chamber, and at one end were a pair of large grand doors with stained windows. The doors opened as Amon approached, allowing him and Cap to walk inside. Cap gasped at the sight, not believing his eyes.

It was a shrine to Captain Republic, complete with a statue that made him seem larger than life. Replicas of his shield lined the wall behind the statue, and spaced through the shrine were display cases containing old newspapers from the Yakone Rebellion, featuring the hero of the nonbenders. Rows of seats with people sitting in them faced the statue, every head turned to see the real Captain Republic.

Amon stood beside Cap, seeing the shock on his face. "This should not surprise you," Amon said. "Your story is the inspiration for many nonbenders. The story of the first nonbender to stand on equal ground with benders, you inspire others to achieve the same."

"I never asked to be famous," Cap admitted.

"True," Amon said, walking up to the statue twice his size. "But when you 'died' you became a martyr for nonbenders, many of which now consider you to be the first Equalist."

While listening Cap wandered to one of the display cases, seeing a shades of brown picture of himself on the page standing beside his old partner. "I tried to set an example for everyone, not just nonbenders."

"And you can do so again," Amon offered. He gestured to the statue in the shrine. "Be the hero you were in the past. Help me usher in a new future for mankind, free from the corrupt benders that oppress our people."

Cap looked up into the face of the statue, considering what Amon had said. For a moment Cap wondered if this was all a charade tailored for convincing him. But he had been revived from the ice only a few days ago, not enough time to construct the shrine for a ruse. People in the shrine were staring at him in awe, some with hope in their eyes. They truly believed in the legacy of Captain Republic, silently begging for him to live up to the legend.

Before Cap could make a decision a messenger entered the shrine and hurried to Amon. "We've found him," the messenger announced, handing off an envelope to Amon.

Amon scowled at the interruption, though no one could see it behind the mask. Opening the envelope and reading the report inside, the scowl turned to a smile. "You came here under the false impression that I captured Iron Man, correct?" Amon asked, and saw Cap nod. "Well it appears that Councilman Tarrlok was responsible."

"What about it?" Cap asked.

"If any doubts remain in your mind, come with me," Amon offered. "I will show you the treachery of benders, and what they deserve."

* * *

Outside the Equalist base Lin got her officers to the satomobile along with Tahno and Asami. The officers all piled into the backseats while Asami and Tahno had to squeeze into the front with Lin at the wheel. Lin considered stretching the vehicle with metalbending to get more room, but that risked tearing it apart while driving. Instead Lin drove as quickly as possible to the hospital, taking a route that avoided the speed traps she had set up while chief of police.

Inside the hospital's waiting room Asami started tampering with a radio while Tahno and Lin watched. She dialed in a specific frequency and attached a microphone to the device. "Mako, are you there?" Asami said into the radio.

"Mako?" Tahno questioned. What's he got…"

Lin struck the back of Tahno's head with two fingers. "Don't say a word about this."

"Okay," Tahno said, rubbing the back of his head.

Ignoring the others Asami slightly adjusted the radio frequency to try again. "Mako, can you hear me?"

Static screeched through the radio, but then a voice barely made it through. _"Asami? I- barely- hear- no power-"_

"Where are you?" Asami asked, trying to make the reception clearer.

"_A cabin in- far from Republic- finish the backup- put Korra in- stop Tarrlok-"_

"What about Tarrlok?" Asami asked, hearing more static obscure Mako's voice.

When there was nothing but static Tahno had a question for Asami. "Why didn't you try this first?"

"Because I thought he was underground," Asami answered, shutting off the radio. "Signals don't get very far down."

"He said something about Tarrlok," Lin said. "We need to get to City Hall."

Immediately they left the hospital and got back into Lin's satomobile. They drove straight to City Hall, finding the building still damaged from the fight last night. Lin parked in the building's garage and led the way inside, finding Tarrlok in the main room with the other council members except for Tenzin. On sight Tarrlok stood up and walked towards Lin with the council members behind him.

"Is there any news you want to report?" Tarrlok asked.

Asami stepped ahead of Lin and Tahno. "The Equalists didn't capture Iron Man," Asami said. She pointed a finger at Tarrlok. "You did!"

"What?" Tarrlok said. "How dare you accuse me of such an act?"

"I know who Iron Man is and who the Hulk is," Asami explained. "Both of them came here last night with Avatar Korra, all of them angry at you!"

"Preposterous," Tarrlok claimed. "Avatar Korra saved my life from the Hulk."

"If the Hulk was sent by Equalists like you claimed they would have captured Korra," Asami argued. "Not leave her in the street for an ambulance to pick up."

"Amon does have a grudge against Iron Man," Tarrlok claimed.

"But Amon wasn't here!" Asami shouted. "Your story doesn't add up!"

"Prove it!" Tarrlok yelled.

From a walkway above Tarrlok's assistant interrupted. "It's true. He took Iron Man," she said. She explained how she had hidden in the parking lot during the battle, and saw Tarrlok abducting Iron Man.

Knowing that his cover up was falling apart, Tarrlok made the first lie that came to his head. "That is nonsense! Everyone knows you're nothing but a squeaky voiced liar!"

Lin looked up at the assistant, surprised to see her speaking out against Tarrlok. "Why did you wait until now to fess up?"

"I was afraid," the assistant muttered. "Because Tarrlok is a bloodbender! He bloodbent Iron Man!"

Caught in the lie, Tarrlok knew that nothing he could say would get him out of the situation. With no other choice he started bloodbending everyone nearby, constricting them until they all passed out in pain. Unwilling to kill so many people to keep his bloodbending secret, Tarrlok left City Hall instead. With nowhere else to go, Tarrlok got inside a satomobile and drove towards his cabin in the mountains.

* * *

Slowly driving through the mountain roads was an armored van, following a map to Tarrlok's cabin. In the driver's seat was Amon, casually driving with just his right arm on the wheel. Sitting in the passenger seat was Captain Republic, looking at the scenery outside his window. Three chi blockers were in the back of the van, patiently waiting for their arrival at the destination.

"How much farther is it?" Cap asked.

"A few miles," Amon answered, keeping his eyes on the road. Snow was falling on the road ahead, gradually filling in tire tracks from another vehicle. With time to spare, Amon had a question for his passenger. "So, what was Yakone like?"

Cap raised one eyebrow, wondering why Amon would ask that. "I only met him once. But he was a petty man. If he couldn't have Republic City he would destroy it instead."

"And he was a bloodbender," Amon added.

"Yes, and without requiring the full moon," Cap said.

"That is common knowledge," Amon said. "What isn't common is that Tarrlok shares the same power."

"Figures," Cap said, realizing why Tarrlok had seemed familiar when they had met. "Let me guess, he's Yakone's son."

"Indeed," Amon answered. The van drove up an incline onto a plateau, where a cabin waited. There was a satomobile parked in front of the cabin, its engine still running. "We've arrived."

Amon parked the van and shut off the engine before stepping outside. Cap exited the vehicle and watched the back doors open to let the chi blockers out. As a group they all walked towards the cabin, Amon leading the way. Confident that the encounter with Tarrlok would go as planned Amon opened the cabin's door himself. Once everyone was inside they could hear Tarrlok's voice coming from stairs leading to a basement.

"My life is ruined now, thanks to you!"

With a few hand signals Amon ordered the chi blockers into position. He took point with two chi blockers behind him and one on his right, leaving the space at his left hand open for Cap. That spot was normally reserved for Amon's second in command, a position that he had yet to fill. Part of Amon hoped that Captain Republic would take that role, but he needed to confirm the man's allegiance first.

After a minute of waiting for the councilman Amon saw Tarrlok walking up the stairs, his attention on the prisoner in the basement. The moment Tarrlok looked up he saw Amon, so surprised that he didn't notice the others with him. "Amon!" Tarrlok blurted out.

"It is time for you to be equalized," Amon said.

A second later Tarrlok laughed. "You fool! You've never faced bending like mine!" Reaching forward Tarrlok started bloodbending, and the chi blockers fell immediately. Cap resisted for a moment as he had felt the grip of bloodbending before, but his resistance failed after only a few seconds. But Amon only slouched a bit, as if a heavy weight was on his shoulders. Horrified at the sight, Tarrlok stepped back. "What are you?"

Walking forward, Amon said "I am the solution."

Amon closed in on Tarrlok, avoiding physical strikes from the councilman. He twisted Tarrlok's arm and restrained him, before placing one hand on the forehead. From the floor Cap watched Amon take Tarrlok's bending away, noticing that the technique was different from what he remembered Avatar Aang using on Yakone. It lacked the second hand on the person's chest, and the victim was clearly in a lot more pain.

With the bloodbending gone everyone in the cabin recovered. Cap looked at Tarrlok, passed out and on the floor by Amon. "How do you do that?" Cap asked.

"It is a gift from the spirits," Amon answered. He grabbed Tarrlok and lifted him onto his shoulders to carry out of the cabin. "I'll take care of him. Iron Man should be down below, probably inside a box. Shock it to knock him out and take him alive."

Cap watched Amon leave the cabin with his captive. Once Amon was outside the cabin Cap walked down the stairs into the basement with the chi blockers, finding the metal box in the center of the room. Stopping in front of the box Cap tapped one hand on the metal. "Still alive in there?"

Inside the box Mako was surprised at the voice of Captain Republic. "Well I'll be a blue nosed gopher-gator."

One chi blocker approached the box, charging an electrical glove. "No stalling."

"Agreed," Cap said. He grabbed the chi blocker's arm and pulled on it, forcing the glove onto another chi blocker. As the electrocuted man fell to the floor Cap threw the one he held into a wall. He bashed his shield into the last chi blocker, leaving him standing alone.

"What just happened out there?" Mako asked.

Cap opened the metal box and let Iron Man out, seeing that a piece was missing in the armor's chest. "Are you alright?"

"I will be," Mako said. Looking around he found the power generator lying on a workbench, and he immediately walked over to take it back. He reattached the generator to the armor's chest, restoring power to the armor. "That's better."

"Can you fly out of here?" Cap asked.

"I'm not sure about that," Mako admitted, stretching his muscles out. "I haven't eaten in nearly a day, and firebending is already weaker at night."

"Well you better try, because Amon is right outside," Cap warned.

"Wait a sec," Mako said, aiming his hands at Cap. "Did you come here with Amon?"

"He asked me to come and I had no other leads to finding you," Cap answered. He walked towards the stairs but kept his shield ready. "Now we have to get out of here."

"How can I trust you?" Mako demanded.

Cap turned back to look at Iron Man in the eyes. "I could have let those chi blockers take you. But Lin Bei Fong wants you back, and I agree with her."

"Alright," Mako said. He followed Cap up the stairs and out of the cabin.

Outside Cap and Mako saw Amon shoving Tarrlok's unconscious body into the back of the van. Amon turned around and saw them, feeling disappointed in the old soldier. "You would have made an excellent second in command," Amon said.

"Go," Cap ordered Iron Man.

"We can take him," Mako suggested.

"Now is not the time," Cap said. "There's something not right about him."

"We might not get another chance like this," Mako said, preparing to firebend at Amon.

Getting impatient Cap grabbed Iron Man's arm and threw him away from the cabin and onto a steep slope beside it. Tumbling in the snow Mako blasted fire down, barely getting off the ground on fatigue drained firebending. The flames melted the snow on Mako's path down the mountain, refreezing into ice once he was far enough away. Cap followed the new path of ice, using his shield as an improvised sled. Amon stayed at the top of the slope, preferring to remain with his first prize rather than go on a risky pursuit.

At the base of the mountain Mako crashed into a tree, nearly knocked out in the impact. A few minutes after him Cap finished his slide down, stopping next to Iron Man. They were near a road that connected Republic City to the rest of the United Republic of Nations, not far from the city limits. Cap dragged Iron Man to the road and then towards Republic City. Along the way Cap stuck out his thumb to hitchhike, but wasn't expecting anyone to pull over for him.

After an hour of dragging Iron Man along the road Cap reached Republic City. There was a police satomobile parked at the city limits, waiting to catch someone speeding into the city. Leaving Iron Man behind the vehicle Cap walked up to the driver side window and tapped on the glass, surprising the cop inside.

"Excuse me officer, I need your radio."


	7. Collect Them All

_A/N: Apologies in advance for a HISHE reference that I just could not resist making._

Chapter 7: Collect Them All

A few days after arriving in the hospital Korra had recovered from her battle with the Hulk, thanks to the healers that had treated her there. Tenzin was waiting for her and took Korra back to Air Temple Island on his sky bison. Along the way Tenzin scolded Korra for picking a fight with something she knew nothing about, but was still happy to see her alright. They arrived on the island at noon and walked inside Tenzin's home, finding an unexpected guest inside the dining room.

"It can't be," Tenzin muttered when he saw the guest beside Mako and Lin Bei Fong. "Captain Republic?"

Cap walked over to Tenzin and shook his hand. "I'm going to get that a lot, aren't I?"

Tenzin smiled at that comment. "I haven't seen you since I was just a boy."

The thought of Tenzin as a kid made Korra laugh a bit. "Did this guy babysit you?"

"No I didn't Avatar A… Korra," Cap said.

For a second Korra thought Cap was about to say Avatar Aang. "Is something wrong?" Korra asked.

"It's nothing," Cap said, turning towards Lin. "Just old ghosts."

As Cap walked back to his seat at the table Tenzin and Korra saw everyone else there. Lin was sitting beside Asami and Mako. Tahno was standing with his back to the far wall, feeling out of place in the home of the airbenders. But there seemed to be someone missing from the room, which Korra noticed right away.

"Where's Bolin?" Korra asked.

From down the hallway the front door was thrown open, and Korra looked to see Bolin entering. He had rock bent into a shirt and his pants were tattered. "What'd I miss?" Bolin asked.

Korra stared at Bolin's odd appearance. "Is there something that no one is telling me?"

From the dining table Asami cleared her throat. "Okay, everything needs to come out into the open." Then she saw Bolin enter the room. "Right after Bolin puts a shirt on."

Bolin ran to his bedroom to change while Korra and Tenzin took a seat at the table by Lin. When Bolin returned he was wearing another vest and new pants, and he sat down by his brother. Bolin was about to eat when he noticed Asami glaring at him. "Alright I'll go first," Bolin said, figuring that Asami wanted him to tell everyone the truth. "Korra, I'm very sorry about what happened the other night."

"Sorry about what?" Korra asked.

With a sigh Bolin glanced down, avoiding eye contact. "The Hulk is me."

All eyes focused on Bolin, most shocked by the admission. Asami already knew, but wanted everyone else to hear it from Bolin first. "I saw him change the other night," Asami said.

"Change?" Korra questioned, finding it hard to believe that the Hulk was an ordinary person. "How is that-"

"You have a mean swing," Bolin interrupted, rubbing his jaw.

Remembering the night outside City Hall, Korra realized that only the Hulk could have known that she had struck him in the jaw. "Bolin… that was you?"

"How?" Mako asked.

"I don't really know that myself," Bolin answered. "It only happens when I get angry."

"Can we see it?" Tahno asked.

"Are you insane?!" Bolin yelled, standing up and facing Tahno. "Changing here would threaten everyone on this island!"

"Alright," Tahno said. "I just wanted to see it with my own eyes."

"Soon enough I'm sure," Asami said, expecting to need the Hulk soon. She looked at Mako, silently suggesting that he go next.

"My turn I guess," Mako said. He reached beneath the table and retrieved a gauntlet from his armor, putting it on and standing up to display it. "I am Iron Man."

"Figures," Korra said. "I get why Bolin kept his other self a secret, but why you Mako?"

"I'm still new to the whole hero thing," Mako answered. "I wanted to get the hang of it before letting anyone know."

Korra looked around the room, seeing a few faces that had not reacted to Mako's admission. "Okay, who already knew?" Four hands were raised, leaving out Bolin and Tenzin. "Some secret," Korra muttered.

Asami suppressed a laugh at that comment. "Now that the secrets are out, we need to plan our next move."

Lin turned her head towards Cap. "Tell them what you saw out there."

"Amon almost got his hands on Mako," Cap said. "I don't know how, but Amon was able to overcome Tarrlok's bloodbending."

"There is one way," Tenzin said, fingering his beard while he thought of old memories. "My mother taught Kya a defense against that technique. But it only works if the waterbender is stronger than the bloodbender."

"How come she never taught me this?" Korra asked.

Tenzin frowned and looked away from Korra. "She didn't want to risk the Avatar learning bloodbending."

"Oh," Korra muttered, understanding the decision to avoid tempting her with that kind of power.

"Anyway," Cap continued. "Amon took away Tarrlok's bending and captured him."

"This is disturbing news," Tenzin said. "Amon is getting bolder, capturing a councilman. He might be approaching his endgame."

"So what do we do about it?" Tahno asked.

"I am going to meet with the council," Tenzin said. "I fear that time may not be on our side."

"What about the rest of us?" Mako asked. "You can't expect us to just sit around here."

"No, I don't," Tenzin said. "Be ready to act in case Amon strikes first."

Everyone watched Tenzin leave, only stopping to make a phone call to let the other council members know that he wanted to meet with them immediately. The attention in the dining room turned to Lin, as the most experienced person present. "Until Amon is stopped, we'll need to work together."

"So we're a team now?" Tahno asked.

Bolin smiled as a thought crossed his mind. "If we're going to be a team, we need a name."

"No we don't," Asami said.

"Oh I know!" Bolin said. "We can be the Avengers!"

"Why?" Mako asked.

"It sounds cool," Bolin explained. Rubbing his chin he thought about making up a rallying cry for the team. "Avengers… Come Together!" He paused for a second. "No, that won't work."

"Initiative isn't your strong suit," Lin commented.

Cap started walking for the door. "I'll be outside if anyone needs me." On his way out Cap glanced at Korra, but didn't say anything more as he left.

A few minutes later Pema walked in with lunch for everyone, serving stew and baked potatoes. She felt her baby kick harder than normal during the meal, telling her that the birth was very near. While everyone ate they listened to a radio for any news about Equalist movements. After the meal Korra was the first to leave the table walking outside the house.

In front of Tenzin's home Korra found Cap looking towards Republic City. "Do you have a problem with me?" Korra asked.

Still looking at the city across the bay, Cap let out a sigh. "So much has changed. More than I expected after just four decades."

"What do you mean?" Korra asked.

"When I was unfrozen and told that forty two years had passed, I was certain that Avatar Aang would still be alive." Cap turned to look at Avatar Aang Memorial Island, and the statue which had only started construction before the civil war. "I wasn't expecting to hear Avatar _Korra_."

"Well deal with it, because I'm here to stay," Korra said.

"I know," Cap said. "It's hard when the Avatar I knew was here only a week ago to me." A stray thought made him snicker for a few seconds. "By the way, I did offer to babysit Tenzin for Aang when I had shore leave."

Korra couldn't help but laugh at that. "What was Mr. Spiritual like back then?"

"Quiet, liked to be alone," Cap answered. "He hated crowds, they kept giving him migraines."

"Tenzin never mentioned any headaches," Korra said. "Other than the ones I caused when I first got here."

"You can ask him when he gets back," Cap suggested.

Suddenly an explosion echoed across the bay, followed by dozens more from the city. Coming from the mountains on the other side of Republic City were several airships, all with Equalist markings on them. The noise from the explosions alerted everyone inside Tenzin's home, drawing out Lin with Bolin and Tahno. Behind them were Mako and Asami, carrying the pieces of the Iron Man armor.

"We heard explosions," Asami said. "What's going on?"

"Republic City is under attack," Cap answered.

Immediately Mako started putting on his armor, starting with the legs. "I'll go ahead and slow them down until you guys catch up."

"Not alone," Asami said, helping to attach the back plate of the armor. "I know you can carry a passenger."

"One," Mako said, slipping into the arms of the armor.

"Sounds like a plan," Bolin commented. "Avengers… um, Gather!" He paused for a second. "No, that's not right either."

"Not the time Bolin," Mako said, putting the chest piece on followed by the helmet. "Asami, get on."

Asami put on an electrified glove before wrapping her arms around Mako's neck, clinging on behind him. "Go!" she yelled. She held on tight as Mako blasted fire down, taking flight and heading across the bay.

Watching Iron Man and Asami leave Tahno drew an arrow. "Time to awaken the Great Green Giant," he said, and jammed the tip into Bolin's arm.

"OWW!" Bolin cried out, feeling anger swelling with the pain. "You could have just kicked me!"

Tahno ripped the arrow out of Bolin's arm just as the skin turned green. As Bolin's body grew more massive and ripped with muscle, Tahno gulped as he saw Bolin's vest get torn apart. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

Standing tall over everyone else, the Hulk roared as the wound in his arm closed. He turned around towards Tahno, and a grin spread over his green face. "Shiny Hair Come With Hulk!" He grabbed Tahno by the waist and then leaped away from Air Temple Island, landing on the giant staff wielded by the statue of Aang on the memorial island. Another leap launched Hulk over the bay, still carrying Tahno.

"Now I've seen everything," Cap muttered.

"Not even close," Korra corrected, reaching towards the city with one arm.

"What are you doing?" Cap asked, looking at Korra's pose.

From across the bay at City Hall, the hammer responded to Korra's will. It lifted itself off the ground in front of the building, and then flew straight towards Air Temple Island. On arrival Korra caught the hammer in her hand, mystically changing her shirt into the platemail and cape. Giving Cap no time to ask for explanations Korra started swinging the hammer around, and wrapped her free arm around Cap's chest.

"Hang on!" Korra yelled, thrusting the hammer upward while keeping her grip on the handle. The force launched her into the air with Cap as a passenger, getting halfway across the bay before starting to fall. Korra repeated the swinging hammer move in midair, keeping herself in the air.

* * *

Ahead of the others Mako was flying towards City Hall, slowed down by carrying Asami. On the way there they saw Tenzin's sky bison Oogi circling over the police station, and changed course to head there instead. Mako hoped that they could get there in time to help Tenzin. As they approached Asami saw that there were no lights coming out of the station's windows, guessing that the power had been cut. In front of the station was Tenzin being attacked by several chi blockers while a dozen Equalist robots captured metalbenders and police staff members.

On arrival Mako landed in front of Tenzin and started blasting fire at the machines, while Asami got off and started fighting the chi blockers. Mako's large flames blinded the operators of the robots while he firebended, though the flames weren't hot enough to melt the metal. For some reason the robots had one of the hands replaced with a metal plate, something that Mako didn't know what it was for.

Lying on the ground Tenzin watched Mako fight the robots, though his vision was slightly blurred from his ordeal. "Look out…" he said, trying to warn Mako.

A sudden humming sound prevented Mako from hearing Tenzin's warning, which seemed to be coming from his armor. Too late he saw one robot holding its metal plate towards him, feeling a pull towards the machine. "Uh oh," Mako muttered, and he was yanked towards the robot. His front slammed into the metal plate, his whole body pinned to it.

Seeing the predicament Mako was in, Asami quickly figured out that the robots had been equipped with electromagnets to capture metalbenders. "Mako, magnets lose their charge if you heat them!"

"Right…" Mako muttered. Twisting his wrists to place his palms against the magnet, Mako started bending heat into the metal. Around his hands the magnet started to turn red hot, and Mako started sweating inside his armor. After a few seconds the magnet lost its hold on the armor, dropping Mako onto the ground.

From beneath Mako blasted fire up in between the legs of the robot, focusing the flames to melt through the hip. The machine stopped working and the operator got out before he could be cooked inside. When he was finished Mako saw more robots circling him, a pair of them on opposite sides getting closer than the others. Both of the closer robots held out their magnets, pulling on Mako at the same time. The pull suspended Mako in the air between them, held in place at equal distance from each magnet.

"Quick learners," Mako commented, noting that he couldn't repeat the same escape method while suspended in midair by magnetism.

A sudden roar caught Mako's attention, and he looked up to see the Hulk dropping out of the sky. Hulk landed on top of one robot suspending Mako, crushing it while Mako slammed into the opposite magnet. Tahno jumped off Hulk's back and rolled as he hit the ground, shooting an arrow once he was behind the robot's magnet. The arrow hit a wire connected to the magnet, cutting power to the magnet and allowing Mako to fall.

"Hulk Like Smashing Robots!"

Leaping over Mako and into the closest machine Hulk smashed it into pieces. Grabbing a torn off arm Hulk threw it another robot, puncturing the hip and stopping the machine. One robot with a cowardly operator tried to flee, but the noise of burning tank treads only caught Hulk's attention. Hulk ran for the fleeing machine and rammed into it, tearing the metal apart.

Beside Mako and facing down the other robots Tahno fired several arrows, but they got stuck in the windshields. "Huh? Thicker glass," Tahno guessed. He fired another arrow at the closest machine, hitting the previous arrow stuck in the windshield. The second arrow split the first one and penetrated deeper into the glass, allowing a third arrow to split through that one and hit the operator inside. "Not thick enough," Tahno commented.

Half a dozen robots remained, looking for an escape route to get out of the area. Scattering in different directions the operators hoped that at least one could leave intact. Unfortunately for them another pair of people fell out of the sky, hammer and shield coming down on one robot. Korra smashed through the machine while Cap cushioned his fall on his shield, both of them rolling when they hit the ground.

Korra stood up and saw the wrecks in front of the police station. "Are we late?"

"Nope," Asami said, subduing the last chi blocker with her glove.

"Good, some fun for me," Korra commented. She charged her hammer with lightning from above and directed it at one of the fleeing robots, electrifying it and ruining the mechanisms inside.

Nearby Hulk smashed another machine, hearing Korra's lightning and turning towards her. "Hulk Remember You!"

Dropping the hammer Korra held up her hands. "Whoa there, we're friends now," Korra said, trying to avoid an unnecessary fight. "There are more robots for you to smash." With that suggestion she pointed to the three remaining machines fleeing in the same direction.

With a smile Hulk turned towards the robots and ran towards them. He leaped over the machines and landed in front of them, roaring to scare the operators inside. The lead machine was immediately torn apart while the other two turned around to flee. They didn't care that they were driving right back towards the police station, just trying to get away from the Hulk.

Seeing the two robots coming back Korra picked up her hammer and used lightning to fry one of them. But before she could deal with the last machine Mako grabbed her shoulder. "What?" Korra asked.

"I want to try something with this one," Mako said. He pressed a button on his right forearm, opening a compartment between the elbow and wrist. A miniature rocket a few inches long came out of the compartment, attached to the armor by small metal clamps. He placed his left palm on the back of the rocket and aimed at the last robot.

Korra looked at the formerly hidden weapon on Mako's arm. "Is that a…"

"Tank Missile!" Mako answered, igniting a fuse and launching the projectile. It rocketed towards the robot and punctured the metal, getting stuck below the operator's seat. A second later the projectile exploded, blowing out the cockpit of the machine.

Looking at the destruction, Korra had one question for Mako. "Why didn't you do that sooner?"

"Only had one," Mako answered, closing the compartment on his arm. "And I wasn't sure if the blast would be big enough."

Resting her hammer on her shoulder Korra looked around for anymore Equalists to fight, finding none left in front of the police station. "Amon really needs something bigger," she commented.

As if on cue an Equalist airship drifted over the police station, alerting everyone below it by its shadow. Aboard the airship Amon looked over his men at the controls, about to give his next order. He had the airship descend towards the station, stopping ten stories above the ground. Amon didn't mind the loss of a dozen machines, as this was an opportunity to test the newest weapon at his disposal.

"Deploy the Crimson Dynamo."

On the bottom of the airship its bomb-bay doors opened, dropping a massive machine five stories tall and half as wide. Barely resembling a person, the machine had disproportionately long arms and large torso. There was no head on the machine, but a glass window several feet thick covering the top half of the chest. Most of the machine was painted a dark crimson, except for the Equalist brand in white on the back.

Inside the Crimson Dynamo a man named Van Koh was at the controls, feeling pride in being chosen to pilot the new prototype. He felt nothing as the Dynamo landed on the ground, its legs absorbing the impact. Van Koh made the machine's fists slam together, itching for a fight to test his mettle. The Dynamo walked closer to the police station, casting a shadow over the people defending Tenzin.

"Oh come on!" Mako complained, remembering his experience with the previous unique machine.

Immediately Tahno drew another arrow, thinking that the best way to stop the machine was to take out the person inside it. His shot was aimed at Van Koh's head, but the arrow stopped a few inches into the thick windshield. Before he could get another shot the Dynamo fired an electrified cable out of its hand, forcing Tahno to dodge and lose his perspective to repeat his arrow splitting trick.

Hulk jumped onto the Dynamo's back, slamming his fists into the crimson metal. Dents deepened with repeated strikes, threatening to puncture the outer shell. Van Koh flicked a switch that pumped electricity into the metal, shocking Hulk until he fell off the machine. Rotating at the hip the Dynamo's top half faced a dazed Hulk and started punching him repeatedly, spreading cracks in the pavement below with each hit.

While the Dynamo was distracted Korra charged her hammer with lightning, then fired it at the machine. The energy flooded the machine's systems, starting to overload it. Thinking quickly Van Koh pushed a button that made iron rods plunge into the pavement beneath the Dynamo's feet, grounding the machine and diverting Korra's lightning into the earth. Rotating at the hip again the Dynamo faced Korra and fired another electrified cable, which Korra deflected with a swing of her hammer.

Nearby Cap and Asami hurried to the Equalist robot that Tahno had stopped earlier, the only damaged part being the punctured windshield. Cap forced the cockpit open and threw the corpse aside, then helped Asami get inside. She turned the machine towards the Dynamo and strapped a brick to the gas pedal, and then leaped out to let it accelerate uncontrolled towards a collision. The runaway machine crashed into the Dynamo's leg and tipped it back a few feet.

"Knock it down!" Cap ordered.

Mako rocketed into the air and soared above the police station, circling around it to gather speed. Coming back down he rammed into the Dynamo's windshield, hitting hard enough to rattle Van Koh inside as the Dynamo tipped further backward. The toes of the machine lifted off the ground as it leaned back, while Mako fell to the ground with his vision spinning from the impact.

Before the Dynamo could regain its balance Korra used a column of earthbended stone to launch herself into the air, and then brought down her hammer on the Dynamo. She hit it hard enough to force the machine onto its heels, partly pulling out the iron rods grounding the Dynamo. Korra leaped off the Dynamo before Van Koh could electrify the outer shell again, leaving it in a precarious balance.

Tahno drew several arrows at once and stuck pieces of rubble onto the tips, then fired all of them at the same time. Beside him Cap threw his shield at the Dynamo, hitting it alongside the arrows. The barrage had just enough force to tip the Dynamo far enough to start falling, ripping the iron rods out of the ground as it fell. Before impact with the ground Hulk rolled out of the Dynamo's path, letting it make a small crater in the impact.

While Van Koh tried to maneuver the Dynamo's arms to lift itself back up the Hulk started pounding on the top of the machine, denting metal with each strike. Mako hovered over the Dynamo on pillars of flame from his feet, blasting fire into the windshield to blind the man inside. Korra slammed her hammer onto the Dynamo's right arm, repeatedly trying to break into the shoulder. Tahno fired more arrows into the knees, attempting to sever wires inside and render the limbs useless. Asami pried off a loose plate of metal on the Dynamo's waist and started yanking out cables inside. Cap jammed his shield into the left elbow, cutting into the metal joint.

The combined effort was too much for Van Koh to handle all at once, blinded by fire and taking damage in several places. The right arm stopped responding as Korra broke through the shoulder, as well as the left hand when Cap damaged the elbow. Knees were jammed by Tahno's arrows, while the legs lost power as Asami dismantled the waist interior piece by piece. For a moment Van Koh thought the windshield was going to melt in Mako's flames, before green fists punctured the roof. The Hulk tore open the Dynamo, and then ripped Van Koh's seat out of it with him still in it.

No longer protected by the Dynamo, Van Koh immediately surrendered. Silently he watched Amon's airship fly away, disappointed in himself for failing. Aboard the airship Amon was annoyed that the Crimson Dynamo had been lost, but the defeat clearly showed that the design was flawed and not worthy of mass production.

With nothing left to fight in the immediate area Hulk let out a victory roar. "Nothing stop Hulk and friends!"

Nearby Mako landed at Asami's side. "Okay, 'Hulk and friends' is an even worse team name," Mako complained.

Cap walked over to Tenzin and helped him stand up. "Are you alright?" Cap asked.

"I'm fine," Tenzin answered. He looked at the remains of the Crimson Dynamo, impressed that his rescuers had taken it down as a team. But beyond the broken machine Tenzin saw the sky above Air Temple Island, seeing an airship approaching his home. "Oh no…"

Following Tenzin's gaze Korra saw the airship, and she only had one word to say. "Again?"

"Figures," Mako muttered. He wanted to address everyone at once to get them going to the island, but hesitated without an appropriate name. He wasn't going to use Fire Ferrets with Tahno around, and Team Avatar just didn't seem right when Cap personally knew the original. "Oh screw it," Mako said, going with the only team name suggested. "Avengers, Assemble!"

* * *

Equalists sent to attack Air Temple Island were expecting an easy fight this time, having confirmed reports that the Avatar and her friends were all occupied elsewhere. Their mission was to get on the island, capture Tenzin's family, and get out before the enemy could receive reinforcements. But when the chi blockers descended onto the island with a zip line they found Lin Bei Fong waiting for them, defending the island with her earth and metalbending. Their fight headed for a draw when the airbenders joined the fray, attacking with the element few had experience defending against.

By the time Tenzin arrived on his sky bison the chi blockers had been rounded up and locked away in the basement. On arrival he learned that Pema had gone into labor during the attack, and gave birth to a baby boy. Pema and Tenzin named the child Rohan, and for the moment everything seemed to be at peace. But it didn't last, as more Equalist airships were on their way to the island.

Outside Korra and the others watched the airships slowly approach the island, and heard Tenzin walking out of the house with his family. "What do you want to do Tenzin?" Korra asked.

Tenzin sighed as he realized he had no other options. "I have to protect my family, and get them as far away from this conflict as possible."

Next to him was Lin, ready to leave at a moment's notice. "If you're leaving, then I'm going with you." Before Tenzin could say anything Lin stopped him. "No arguments, you and your family are the last airbenders. There's no way in the world I'm letting Amon take your bending away."

"I'm coming too," Mako said. "No offense, but I can maneuver better than the sky bison."

"None taken," Tenzin said. "How fast can you fly?"

"I'm not sure," Mako admitted, wishing that he had done some speed trials. "But I can easily outrace any airship."

"Then I've got something more important for you to do," Tenzin claimed. "I managed to get a wire out to the United Forces, and they're on their way here. I need you to rendezvous with the naval fleet and fill in the general on what's happening here."

"Okay, which way are they coming from?" Mako asked. When Tenzing pointed in the right direction Mako took flight, rocketing away to meet with the United Forces Navy.

Tenzin turned to Korra and the rest of her friends. "Korra, I need the rest of you to leave this island and hide for the time being."

"We're not giving up," Korra said.

"I'm not asking you too," Tenzin corrected. "Just wait until the United Forces get here."

"He's right," Cap said. "We can't win with just this ragtag team."

"Alright, we'll be patient," Korra said.

In minutes three sky bison were in the air and flying out to sea, carrying Tenzin and his family along with Lin and other residents of the island. A pair of airships followed the bison, leaving two others hovering over the island and deploying chi blockers. Before any invaders could reach the ground Korra had already summoned Naga with a whistle, getting on the polar bear-dog with Asami, Tahno, and Cap. They left Hulk behind to hold off the Equalists until they could get away.

"We can't leave yet," Asami said.

"Why?" Korra asked.

"Just stop by my workshop," Asami said. "There's something there we can't leave behind."

"Alright," Korra said, steering Naga to the workshop.

On arrival Asami got off Naga, pulling Tahno and Cap off with her. She opened the workshop's door and hurried inside. "Good, the backup is still here."

"What backup?" Tahno asked before entering. Once he was inside he saw a second Iron Man armor propped up against the far wall, only black and grey without the proper paint job.

"Can't let Amon have this," Cap commented.

"It's not finished, but enough is completed to make it dangerous in Equalist hands," Asami said. She started taking the armor down. "Help me get this out of here."

Quickly they got the spare armor into a trunk and hauled it out of the workshop and lifted it onto Naga's back. Once they were back on Naga's back Korra made her run for the island's shore. The polar bear-dog jumped into the bay, while Korra used waterbending to make an air bubble around everyone. Naga swam deeper in the water, hiding the passengers in the dark depths.

Above the water the sky bison flew away from Republic City, but the pair of Equalist airships were closing in on them. Once they were close enough the airships started firing large nets attached to ropes, trying to ensnare the sky bison and take the passengers alive. Lin saw the nets coming and use her metal cables to cut them apart, and deliberately tangled her cable with the Equalist rope.

Lin took one last look at Tenzin and his family. "Whatever happens to me, don't turn back!"

Before Tenzin could stop her Lin jumped off the sky bison, reeling in her cable and swinging up onto the airship. Once she landed on the hull Lin started metalbending it, tearing a long gash along the top of the airship. Hot air inside vented out through the gash, forcing the airship to descend. To reach the second airship Lin metalbended part of the hull into a spring, launching herself across the gap between airships. Without delay Lin started making another tear in the second airship.

Nearby a hatch opened and a pair of chi blockers climbed out. They tried to ambush Lin but she saw them coming, metalbending the hull beneath their feet to knock them over. One had been about to throw an electrified snare at Lin, which was flung into the air as Lin restrained the chi blocker. She watched the weapon fall off the side of the airship before resuming her work in destroying the hull.

A sudden humming sound caught Lin's attention, and a second later the metal in her uniform seized up and immobilized her. At the same time Lin saw the discarded snare reappear above the airship, defying gravity and turning towards her. The metal in the snare wrapped around Lin and the electricity shocked her, and she fell onto the hull. But as her vision went dark she caught a glimpse of someone nearby, only making out a cape and horned helmet.

The airship immediately turned around and docked at Air Temple Island, abandoned by the residents and left for the Equalists to occupy. Even the Hulk was gone, having left to fight Equalist forces elsewhere. A storm started to roll in as the crew brought Lin onto the island, clouds obscuring the sun when Lin regained consciousness. Forced onto her knees as rain started Lin saw Amon approach her and stand in front of Lin.

"Tell me where the Avatar is, and I will let you keep your bending," Amon offered.

"I won't tell you anything, you monster," Lin said.

"Very well," Amon said. He walked behind Lin and placed his hand on her forehead, taking away Lin's bending. When he was finished Lin fell forward onto the ground, losing consciousness again. "Take her away."

"Yes sir," one chi blocker said.

Amon watched his men drag Lin out of his sight, all the while noticing several metal nails circling each other nearby. When he was alone Amon looked towards the shadows behind the moving metal. "It's safe to talk now, Magnus."

"For the moment," Magnus stated, staying in the shadows. Any observer would only see a slight tint of red from his helmet and chest plate in addition to the purple cape, while his face remained hidden in the dark. "Congratulations to your victory today."

"Not completely," Amon said, while listening for any unwanted footsteps. "Republic City is mine, but that can easily change."

"Particularly if our partnership is discovered," Magnus warned. Both men knew that if the public found out about Magnus the support for Amon would vanish instantly. "I trust that my electromagnets functioned adequately."

"Against the metalbenders, yes," Amon answered. "But Iron Man discovered their flaw."

"No weapon is perfect," Magnus reasoned. "They were an imitation of proper magnetism."

"True," Amon commented. Around him the rain started to fall harder, making it difficult to keep up a conversation. "You had better leave now before someone notices."

There was no reply, which told Amon that Magnus had already left.

* * *

Far from Republic City and high above the sea Mako rocketed across the sky, searching from one horizon to the other for the United Forces Navy. The sun was setting and Mako was getting tired from sustaining his firebending for hours on end. There was no land anywhere in sight, so Mako pushed himself even harder to fly faster and find the navy before running out of energy.

As the sky turned orange in the setting sun Mako saw something appearing on the horizon in front of him. "Finally," Mako muttered to himself, starting his descent. On his way down he saw nearly a dozen ships come into focus, all in a triangular formation and sailing for Republic City.

On the lead ship the young general from the Fire Nation saw Iron Man's flames, ordering the crew to launch a signal flare. Once the flare was in the sky the general saw Iron Man aim his flight for the lead ship. Though he had grown up hearing stories of firebending flight during Sozin's Comet, the general hadn't believed the reports of Iron Man replicating the feat with technology.

Mako landed on the bow of the lead ship, stopping so fast that his feet dented the metal deck. "Sorry about the entrance," Mako apologized, catching his breath. "Are you the general of the United Forces?"

"That's General Iroh," he corrected. "What do you have to report?"

"Well do you want the good news first, or the bad news?" Mako asked.

"The bad news," Iroh asked.

"In short, Republic City got caught with its pants down and fell in under a day," Mako reported. "There's still resistance but it isn't enough to take and hold the city. Amon has an army."

"And the good news," Iroh asked.

"We have a Hulk," Mako answered.

"That's hardly reassuring," Iroh said. "Is there anything else?"

Before answering the question Mako observed Iroh, noting that the general had the Fire Nation royalty look. "Are you a firebender, by any chance?"

"Yeah, so," Iroh said.

Mako removed his helmet and smiled at Iroh, thinking about the backup armor he knew Asami wouldn't leave behind on Air Temple Island. "In that case Iroh, I think we could use a general in his own personal war machine."


	8. Accessories Sold Separately

_A/N: Ho Boy, this is a big one. As this chapter covers the entire Book 1 finale, its fitting that it is also the longest chapter that I've written for any story so far. And at the end there is a very special cameo. Enjoy._

Chapter 8: Accessories Sold Separately

Three days after Republic City fell to the Equalists the United Forces Navy arrived to take back the city. Nearly a dozen ships slowly sailed through the bay, passing by Avatar Aang Memorial Island on their way to the harbor. The crews of the ships saw that the statue of Aang had been desecrated while under Equalist control, as the face had been covered with Amon's mask and Equalist banners hung from the staff.

Standing on the prow of the lead ship was General Iroh, looking for the enemy occupying the city. Behind him was Mako, wearing the Iron Man armor but holding the helmet under his arm. Neither of them saw anyone at the docks in front of the ships, no Equalists or their machines anywhere in sight. The only sounds came from the ships and the waves crashing against the hulls.

"Amon had to know we were coming," Iroh said. "So why aren't we meeting any resistance?"

"No machines, no airships, not even chi blockers," Mako muttered. "What are we missing?"

"Something's not right," Iroh said.

Suddenly an explosion struck a ship on Iroh's left, puncturing a small part of its hull. Waterbenders inside sealed the breach by freezing ice around the hole. More explosions went off in the water across the entire fleet, caused by mines hidden below the surface. Despite the surprise among every crew on each ship, water and earth benders got to work detonating the mines before they could hit the ships, though half of the vessels had taken damage.

A strange buzzing noise caught Iroh's attention when the mines had been dealt with. "What is that sound?" Iroh muttered, looking around for the source.

Looking up at the Republic City skyline, Mako heard the noise coming from that direction and getting louder. "What now?" Mako asked, seeing something moving against the sky.

Only seconds later the source of the noise came into view, dozens of small aircraft using pairs of wings and propellers to fly. Completely different from traditional airships, these one man crafts required speed to fly and could maneuver through the skyscrapers of the city with ease. The aircrafts flew over the bay and opened cargo doors on the bottom parts, dropping bombs on the fleet below.

A quickly timed fireblast from Mako detonated a handful of bombs before they could hit the ship he was on, but the other ships were damaged by explosions and shrapnel. Mako put on the Iron Man helmet and took flight, getting high above the ship and started hovering there on pillars of flame. As the aircrafts circled around for another pass to drop more bombs Mako started blasting fire at every aircraft he could see, damaging several and sending some plummeting into the bay.

One damaged aircraft spun in the air towards Mako, and before he could get out of the way it crashed into him. Mako fell back onto the deck of the ship, his vision spinning and the wind knocked out of him for the moment. Nearby was one of the ship's main cannon, powered by a trio of firebenders feeding fire into it at once. The long barrel of the cannon extended the range of firebending ten times over, at a cost of mobility.

"You three, aim the gun!" Mako yelled, getting to his feet and hurrying to the cannon. Replacing the trio behind the cannon Mako placed both of his hands at the back, using his chi enhanced bending to singlehandedly fire the weapon. The other benders aimed the cannon for Mako while he fired again and again, faster than a team could shoot without the need to synchronize his bending with others. Aircrafts started dropping like bumbleflies in the barrage of cannonfire, clearing a section of the sky above Iroh's ship.

Meanwhile Iroh had climbed up to the crow's nest of his ship to fight closer to the height of the aircrafts. He focused on detonating bombs in mid-air while letting the cannons below him deal with the aircrafts, as it was harder for the cannons to hit smaller targets. Though he was trying to concentrate on the battle, he couldn't help but notice a disturbance in the water. There was a waterbender moving beneath the waves, using bending to swim at high speed. Just outside the fleet a column of water rose from the bay, and lightning struck from the peak to passing aircraft.

"Avatar Korra," Iroh muttered, wondering what had taken her so long to join the battle.

Riding on the column of water Korra swung her hammer to make an arc of lightning hit two aircraft that flew into it. She could see half of the fleet crippled and sinking into the bay, the rest still under attack. A group of aircraft was making another pass to strike the fleet again, and Korra threw her hammer at them. One hand held out towards the hammer Korra mentally guided its motions, having it strike and break off the wings of one aircraft after another. But while she focused on the hammer Korra didn't notice a burning aircraft crashing into her column of water, breaking it apart and sending Korra plummeting into the bay.

With the mental connection disrupted Korra's hammer fell onto an aircraft it had been about to strike, sticking to the top of a wing. The pilot lost control of the aircraft, the entire machine unable to lift the mystical weapon. He ejected from the aircraft as it plummeted towards Iroh's ship, crashing into the base of the crow's nest. Iroh fell out of the crow's nest as it tipped over, falling into the bay.

Under the water Korra saw Iroh plunge into the depths, close enough for her to rescue. Korra grabbed onto to Iroh's collar and lifted him to the surface, bending water out of his lungs to get him breathing again. "It's alright, I got you," Korra said. Around them Korra saw the rest of the fleet start to sink, unable to withstand the barrage of bombs from the aircrafts.

Iroh's ship was the last to sink, and Mako was the last person to abandon ship. When the ships were beyond recovery the aircrafts flew away, leaving Mako with nothing left to shoot with the cannon. Mako flew into the air and blasted fire at the withdrawing aircrafts, and saw Korra below waterbending herself and Iroh towards the harbor. He followed them and landed outside an open drainage pipe, which Korra headed for after pulling Iroh out of the water.

"Now what do we do?" Mako asked, taking off his helmet and walking inside with Korra and Iroh.

"We regroup," Korra answered.

* * *

Meanwhile Shran was performing reconnaissance at City Hall, having left his Captain Republic uniform and shield hidden while wearing a stolen chi blocker outfit and mask. Equalists were using City Hall as a base of operations, as well as to promote the legitimacy of Amon's new government. Inside people were scrambling to obtain as much information as they could about the attack on United Forces fleet, using dozens of radios to communicate with the deployed aircraft. No one noticed one more chi blocker in the chaos, eavesdropping from one of the walkways above the main council room.

Below him two high ranking Equalists were planning how to execute Amon's latest orders. "When the aircraft fleet is done have them return to the mountain base for refueling and repairs. Once we find Bumi's fleet send them out immediately."

The other man nodded in agreement, writing down the instructions to hand out later. "We'll also need more security at the arena for the rally tomorrow, transfer some men from Air Temple Island."

"Why does Amon have any there to begin with?" He looked over a security report from the island, which he believed was vulnerable to recapture by the United Forces. "What's so precious that Amon is keeping there?"

Shrugging his shoulders the other man didn't have a clue. "Whatever it is, I'm sure our leader has his reasons."

A patrol of three chi blockers moved along the walkway Shran stood on, taking about the purge of bending Amon had worked on in the days he had control of Republic City. For the sake of appearances Shran had to stop eavesdropping and walk away like everything was normal. He waved as he passed by the chi blockers, pretending to be friendly among comrades. Though Shran wanted to stay and learn more about Amon's plans, the risk of being discovered grew with every minute. Taking his time and being discreet Shran left City Hall and walked to a nearby alley, retrieving his equipment stashed in a bag behind a dumpster.

Finished with his reconnaissance for today Shran entered the tunnel systems beneath the city, walking towards a shanty town beneath the slums. Once he was in a safe part of the tunnels Shran pulled off the chi blocker mask, just in case a friendly face spotted him. Shran walked into the shanty town and saw the wise and noble hobo that offered to take in the Avatar.

"Gommu, is Korra back yet?" Shran asked.

Currently cooking a stew from discarded scraps and crumbs, Gommu sampled a taste with a ladle before looking at Shran. "Yup, brought back the Iron Man and a general with her," Gommu answered. He pointed the ladle towards a shack a few blocks away. "They're all over there."

"Thanks," Shran said, walking away from Gommu before an offer of disgusting stew could be made.

Behind the shack General Iroh was sitting on a stool while Korra healed a burn on his arm. Nearby Asami was inspecting Mako's armor for damage while he still wore it, while Tahno and Bolin stood there and watched. Iroh saw Shran walk up to the group and smiled. "You're out of uniform soldier," Iroh teased.

"Sir, I don't have the current version," Shran countered.

Korra finished her healing and let Iroh stand up. "Find out anything important?" Korra asked Shran.

"Amon's got a base up in the mountains for his aircraft fleet, and he's got some event at the arena tomorrow," Shran reported. "He's also stashed something away on Air Temple Island."

"We have to take out that base," Iroh said. "Those aircrafts have to be dealt with before the second fleet gets here."

"There's a second fleet?" Mako questioned.

"Yes, led by Commander Bumi," Iroh answered.

"Tenzin's brother?" Korra asked.

Shran raised one eyebrow and interrupted. "That unstoppable kid joined the military?"

"He's no kid anymore," Iroh stated. "Bumi's a bit of a wild man, but also the bravest commander you'll ever meet."

"So how do we take out the base?" Tahno asked.

"We find it and wreck it," Bolin suggested, slamming one fist into the other hand.

Iroh nodded in agreement. "The aircrafts flew in from the northeast. We'll head out in that direction at dawn."

"Sounds like a plan," Mako commented, watching Asami finishing the inspection of his armor. "Asami, is the backup armor finished?"

"It only needs a paint job now," Asami answered. "Why?"

Mako jerked a thumb at Iroh. "I kind of promised the general that he could use it."

Asami sighed and shook her head. "You know he'll want to keep it."

"Hey if it helps us beat Amon, we can afford that price," Mako argued.

"Fine," Asami said. She raised her voice and turned towards Iroh. "General, I need some measurements."

"Measurements for what?" Iroh asked.

"To make sure your new war machine will fit," Asami answered.

As it appeared that the discussion of plans was over, Tahno and Bolin were about to wander off to do their own business for the night. But before they could leave Korra spoke up. "Wait. I'm sorry, but I'm not going with you tomorrow."

"What?" Mako blurted out.

"Why not?" Asami asked.

"I'm sick and tired of hiding from Amon," Korra answered. "It's time I face him."

"That's not a good plan," Iroh said. "We need to stick together."

"I'm not waiting for him to hunt me down," Korra argued. "My gut's telling me it's time to end this, on _my_ terms."

"Korra, this is not a mission you should be handling alone," Iroh argued back.

"I'll go with her," Shran offered.

"You don't have to do that," Korra said.

"No, but I will anyway," Shran said.

* * *

The next morning the team prepared for their separate missions to save Republic City. Shran and Korra each put on a stolen chi blocker outfit, but left the masks off while still in the safety of the shanty town. Tahno filled his quiver with every arrow he could find, having to steal a few from an Equalist controlled shop during the night. Bolin put on the cheapest brown clothes he had, which he could afford to destroy transforming into the Hulk later. Mako put on his Iron Man armor while Asami forced the backup armor onto Iroh's body.

"It's a little tight," Iroh complained as Asami attached the back of the armor, leaving only the helmet left to put on the general.

"It was meant to fit Mako," Asami explained. She picked up the gray helmet and handed it to Iroh. "Let's get moving."

Nearby Korra stood next to her hammer, left on the ground with the handle pointing up. She couldn't carry it with her while disguised as a chi blocker, but could settle for summoning it when needed. "Cap, hand me your shield."

Shran picked up his shield and walked over to Korra. "We can't take it with us," Shran said as he handed it over.

"We don't have to," Korra said, grabbing onto the shield by the edge. She crouched next to her hammer and used a rope to tie the shield's straps to the hammer's handle. "Now I can bring the shield to us with the hammer."

As the sun rose above Republic City the two teams went their separate ways, Korra and Shran walking into the tunnels while everyone else climbed onto Naga. The polar bear-dog left the city with the people on her, heading for the mountains. At the same time Korra and Shran reached the bay, using a waterbended bubble to walk across beneath the waves.

When they arrived on Air Temple Island Korra and Shran put on the chi blocker masks to complete their disguises. Above the island was an Equalist airship, picking up a passenger from Tenzin's home. Korra could just barely see Amon's mask in the distance as he boarded the airship. "There he is," Korra muttered.

"Let's get inside and find out what he's keeping in there," Shran suggested. "If it's really so important he'll come back and we can ambush him."

Korra led the way to a hidden entrance to Tenzin's home, a wooden door at the base of a brick wall and behind some bushes. It led into the basement, and through there they got into the living room. There were no Equalists inside the house, which was a welcome relief for Korra. "Let's hide in the attic," she suggested.

Climbing up a ladder and opening a trapdoor in the ceiling Korra and Shran got into the attic. Shran climbed up first and looked around, finding out what Amon had stashed away. "Korra, someone beat us here."

Following Shran's gaze Korra saw newly installed cells in the attic, and imprisoned inside one was a familiar councilman. "Tarrlok?" Korra questioned, seeing him sitting down with his back to the far wall.

"I don't suppose you're here to rescue me?" Tarrlok asked.

Korra pulled off her chi blocker mask and walked up to the cell, while Shran did the same. "We had no idea you were here," Korra admitted. "Are there other prisoners on the island?"

"No, I'm the only one," Tarrlok answered.

"Now why would Amon have you stashed away here?" Shran asked.

"I'm Amon's brother," Tarrlok answered. Before Korra or Shran could question him Tarrlok elaborated on his claim. "Amon is from the Northern Water Tribe. He's a waterbender and a bloodbender, just like I was."

"What?" Korra blurted out, doubting Tarrlok's claim.

Shran snapped his fingers in revelation. "So _that's_ how he fought off your bloodbending."

"Indeed," Tarrlok confirmed. "When bloodbenders clash, the stronger one is immune to the other's control."

"Did you know Amon was your brother this whole time?" Shran asked.

"No, not until after he captured me," Tarrlok admitted. "And he wasn't always Amon."

"Explain, from the beginning," Korra demanded.

"That, ironically, starts with the two of you," Tarrlok answered. "Specifically, when Avatar Aang and Captain Republic defeated my father, Yakone."

Slowly Tarrlok explained what happened after Yakone had been defeated, the version that Yakone himself had told Tarrlok as a boy. Yakone had been tried in court for crimes against humanity after his rebellion, and given the death penalty in spite of Avatar Aang's desire for a life sentence. But before his execution could be carried out Yakone had been rescued by members of his former army, calling themselves neo-supremacists at the time. Smuggled out of Republic City and into the northern Earth Kingdom, the neo-supremacists hired specialized surgeons to reconstruct Yakone's face.

With a new identity Yakone traveled to the Northern Water Tribe, a part of the world that had no reason to draw the attention of Avatar Aang. There he settled down and started a family, having two sons called Noatak and Tarrlok. Even though Yakone's bending had been removed long ago, his sons still inherited his waterbending. Over the years Yakone taught his sons how to bloodbend, and how to do it without the need of a full moon.

On one night Yakone ordered his sons to do the unthinkable, bloodbend each other. Noatak had followed the order, using Yakone's psychic bloodbending technique on Tarrlok. When Yakone ordered Tarrlok to bloodbend Noatak he refused, angering the former bloodbender. Noatak stopped Yakone with bloodbending, fed up his treatment of Tarrlok. It was the final straw for Noatak, and he left his family behind in a snowstorm.

Finished with his tale, Tarrlok begged for forgiveness. "Avatar Korra, I'm truly sorry for everything I've done. I thought I was better than my father, but his ghost still shaped me. I became a soldier of revenge, just like he wanted me to be. And so did my brother."

"How did you figure Amon is your brother and not some other bloodbender?" Shran asked.

"When he took my bending, the sensation was somehow familiar," Tarrlok answered. "I later recognized it as my brother's bloodbending grip."

"So he uses bloodbending to take people's bending," Korra said.

"I don't know _how_ he does it," Tarrlok admitted. "But then again, I've never encountered a bender as strong as Noatak."

"Then how do we beat him?" Korra muttered.

"Maybe we don't have to," Shran suggested, one hand on his chin while pondering the possibilities. "Think about it, his entire revolution is built on a lie. If we can expose him as a bender, he'll lose all of his support."

"Which we can do at the arena," Korra added. She turned her attention back to Tarrlok. "Thank you for your help."

Tarrlok nodded, then stood up and walked up to the bars. "Go. Amon can't know that anyone spoke with me." He gripped the bars of his cell with both hands. "Defeat him. Put an end to this sad story."

* * *

Meanwhile outside the city Naga ran through the mountains, getting tired carrying the burden of five people, two of which wearing heavy armor. Looking up at the sky Iroh spotted an aircraft flying by, descending towards a place higher up the mountain. The aircraft disappeared behind a cliff which Naga was headed for, and the polar bear-dog stopped at the peak.

Everyone climbed off Naga and let her rest, while they all walked up to the edge of the cliff. Down below was a flat stretch of land nestled between forested peaks, one side ending in a sheer drop. A large hangar stood near the tree line, connected to several dirt runways that led off the sheer drop. Half a dozen aircraft were parked outside, but the hanger was big enough to hold dozens more.

"I think we found our secret airfield," Iroh observed, holding the helmet of his war machine in his arm. "Bolin, once we get down there you need to Hulk up and tear up those runways."

"Aye-Aye Captain," Bolin said with a salute, but then caught his mistake. "Oops, wrong guy. Sorry, General."

Tahno stretched his arms and then held his bow at the ready. "Let's just get this done before they take off."

Mako nodded and put on his helmet, while Iroh did the same. They led the others down a slope around the cliff, leaving a tired Naga behind to rest. At the base of the slope were several metal posts sticking out of the ground and arranged in a line. There was nothing connecting the posts two each other, which captured Asami's curiosity.

"Why would there be fence posts but no fence?" Asami wondered aloud.

Crossing the threshold between posts gave Asami her answer, an electric surge arcing between posts that shocked all five of them as they crossed at the same time. Pain from electricity instantly triggered Bolin's rage, growing into the Hulk in seconds. His sheer mass absorbed most of the electricity, relieving the pain felt by the others. Hulk grabbed one of the posts and ripped it out of the ground, breaking the connection between posts and severing the electric current.

"Everyone okay?" Mako muttered, while his skin felt numb from the shock.

"Yeah," Tahno answered. He heard an alarm go off from the hangar, and could see Equalists hurrying towards the aircrafts. "But we just lost the element of surprise."

"Hulk Not Need Surprise. Hulk Only Need Smash."

Iroh looked at the hangar and saw several Equalist robots driving towards the breach in the electric fence, all slowing down when they saw the Hulk. The operators inside knew that they couldn't stop the Hulk, but they only needed to slow him down long enough for the aircrafts to take off. Iroh pointed to the runways instead of the machines. "Go smash the runways, the rest of us will smash the machines."

Slamming his fists together Hulk smiled. "Hulk Like Plan."

Meanwhile on the opposite side of the airfield, a man in a green business suit watched Hulk and the others run into battle. No one noticed he was there among the trees, watching to see how the engagement would turn out. Unaffiliated with either side in this mortal conflict, Loki wanted to see a spectacular show to keep himself entertained.

"Now this simply will not do," Loki muttered to himself, finding the odds steeped too heavily in favor of the Avatar's cronies. If the battle commenced as it was it would be boring for Loki to watch. To correct the problem Loki snapped his fingers, immediately hearing heavy footsteps behind him. "Go make this interesting," Loki ordered.

* * *

At the Republic City arena Amon was having a rally to boost support for his revolution, as well as to celebrate the victory over the United Forces fleet. The ring for the pro bending sport had been removed and the safety water drained, replaced by a stage with a large backdrop of Amon hanging on the wall behind the stage. The remaining space provided by removing the ring was filled with Amon's supporters, as well as the original stands that had been intended to hold a crowd.

Sneaking in as reassigned chi blockers, Korra and Shran got inside the arena and made it appear like they were stationed in one of the referee booths. They waited for Amon to make his appearance before the crowd, ready to expose the truth about him. Amon made his entrance on a platform that lifted him up from beneath the stage, appearing to rise up out of the floor in the center of the stage for all to see.

With a microphone hidden behind his mask, Amon addressed the entire crowd. "Thank you all for joining me on this historic occasion." The crowd cheered for Amon, and he basked in the glory for a moment before continuing with his speech. "When I was a boy a firebender struck down my entire family and left me scarred. That tragic event began my quest to equalize the world."

"That's a lie, Amon!" Korra interrupted. She pulled off her mask as she obtained the attention of Amon and the crowd, and Shran removed his mask too. "Or should I call you Noatak?"

The audience didn't hide their disgust with the Avatar, though Amon didn't want them becoming a mob just yet. "Everyone calm down. We have nothing to fear from the Avatar. Let's hear what she has to say."

"Amon has been lying to you," Korra said to the crowd. "The spirits didn't give him the power to take people's bending away. He uses bloodbending to do it." Korra pointed at Amon for dramatic effect. "Amon is a waterbender!"

Gasps echoed throughout the audience, though many refused to even consider the possibility of Amon being a waterbender. Keeping his cool, Amon played to the crowd's expectations. "You're desperate Avatar. Making up stories about me is a pathetic last resort."

"Your family wasn't killed by a firebender," Korra continued. "His father was Yakone, and his brother is Councilman Tarrlok."

As the crowd was already more inclined to believe Amon over Korra, they started booing the Avatar. Amon smiled behind his mask, knowing that words alone would not be enough to convince the crowd to turn from him. "An amusing tale," he commented, and pulled back the hood that covered his brown hair. "But I will show you the truth." Amon untied a string that held his mask in place, and slowly revealed his face. A burn covered half of his face, but left his eyes untouched despite covering the skin around them. "This is what a firebender did to me."

"What?" Korra blurted out, having been certain that Amon had lied about being scarred. She watched Amon put his mask back on for the crowd's sake, as many could not bear the sight of the scar.

Shran glanced around to check for an escape route, thinking that it was impossible to discredit Amon now. But there were chi blockers closing in on the referee booth, cutting off that exit. "Korra, I think it's time we got armed."

Nodding in agreement, Korra held out her arm towards the entrance of the arena. Across the city in the shanty town Korra's hammer responded to her call, levitating itself and hurtling towards Korra. With Shran's shield still attached to the handle the weapons broke through the doors of the arena, flying over the crowd and into Korra's hand. In a flash of lightning and booming thunder the hammer's mystical power replaced the top half of Korra's disguise with the platemail and cape, while the rope holding the shield to the hammer burned away and allowed Shran to take his weapon.

"Ready to fight are we?" Amon asked. "Good, it's just in time for the main event." At his command a narrow strip of the stage started to rise up, connected to a rising platform below with four metal poles. Chained to each pole were the last four airbenders, Tenzin and his first three kids.

"No, they got away," Korra muttered. "We saw them get away."

Appreciating the work of his airship pilots that had caught up with the sky bison two days ago, Amon was ready to make his biggest strike against bending yet. "Tonight I rid the world of airbending, _forever_."

"Amon, let them go!" Korra demanded.

"You're welcome to come down here and try to stop me," Amon taunted. Then he gestured to the side of the stage, where a black haired man with metal armor coving his arms and chest was walking towards Amon. "Or perhaps you would feel more comfortable fighting my new second in command, Hu Bian." On cue Hu Bian squeezed metal triggers in his hands to deploy long whips out of his armor's forearms, and power surged in them to electrify the weapons. "But I believe he now prefers the name Whiplash."

* * *

Equalist pilots scrambled to get into their aircrafts still parked in the airfield and the hangar, hurrying to get the vehicles up to speed and in the air before the Hulk could destroy them and the runways. Some of them hadn't been fully refueled since the attack on the United Forces fleet, but falling out of the sky was preferable to getting smashed on the ground. The pilots were counting on the Equalist robots to slow down the Hulk long enough for the aircrafts to get into the air. They weren't having any luck, as the Hulk was swinging his arms to toss the machines out of his way.

Right behind the Hulk and barely keeping pace in his armor Iroh was looking around for any new threats. "It can't be this easy," he muttered.

"Don't jinx it," Mako said, taking the time to blast fire at a group of chi blockers trying to reach Tahno and Asami.

"Maybe Amon's out of secret tricks?" Tahno said, shooting an arrow into the knee of an Equalist to bring him down.

Loud and heavy footsteps interrupted the attack, getting closer to the battle. Asami looked around the Hulk to see the source of the sound. "Guys, I don't think this one is Amon's."

Entering the airfield was a titan three feet taller than the Hulk and nearly as wide, clad in armor that left nothing exposed. Though made entirely out of metal, it had none of the stiffness of normal armor. Only the head appeared like a normal helmet, but lacked mouth or eye slits to see and breathe through. The rest of the armor seemed like an enlarged human being, but composed of living metal. Walking with all the gracefulness of an organic being instead of the stiffness of a machine, this titan was clearly not of earthly origin.

Watching from the nearby forests, Loki commanded the Destroyer to fight. "Engage them."

On command the Destroyer ran towards the Hulk, startlingly fast to the team that had fought lumbering machines in the past. It slammed a shoulder into the Hulk and knocked him back, making a small earthquake as Hulk's back hit the ground. The Destroyer planted one foot on Hulk's chest and stomped on his face with the other, each hit pushing Hulk's head deeper into the ground.

Hulk grabbed the ankle of his opponent and threw him off, then got back onto his feet. Both combatants charged at each other while pulling back a fist, Hulk punching with his right and Destroyer punching with his left. Two fists moved past each other and struck the faces of their respective targets, green flesh denting a helmet and metal skin bruising green flesh. Hulk grabbed Destroyer's arm and yanked him closer, then punched the titan in the stomach. Not feeling pain the Destroyer ignored the blow and grabbed Hulk's throat, slowly squeezing it tight.

Behind the titan Mako and Iroh both blasted fire at its back, twin jets of enhanced flames engulfing the Destroyer. The attack left the Destroyer's back red hot but intact, which was just enough of a distraction for the Hulk to grab the metal hand around his throat and pry it off. With its free hand the Destroyer threw a punch at Hulk, which he caught in his free hand.

The sound of aircrafts speeding down the runways caught Hulk's attention, though both of his hands were occupied grappling with the Destroyer. "Hulk Keep Busy!" he yelled, glancing at Mako and Iroh. "You Smash Big Birdies!"

"You heard him!" Mako said, turning to intercept the dozen aircrafts about to take off. He blasted fire at the vehicles, burning one down while the others lifted off the ground. "No good, we'll have to shoot them out of the sky."

"How do you make this thing fly?" Iroh asked, gesturing to his armor.

"Just do as I do," Mako instructed. Thrusting his hands down Mako blasted enough fire to get off the ground, and Iroh mimicked the technique to achieve liftoff. They flew after the aircrafts heading towards Republic City, hoping to destroy all of them before they could cause any harm.

Hulk let go of the Destroyer and put his fists together, swinging them upward into the titan's jaw. The blow launched Destroyer into the air towards the hangar, crashing through the roof. A second later Destroyer jumped back through the roof of the hangar, not caring about making a second hole. On its way back down Destroyer swung his leg and hit Hulk's head, making him stagger back a few feet. At the same time Hulk and the Destroyer threw a right hand punch, both fists hitting each other and sounding like thunder.

Out of the blue an arrow hit the back of the Destroyer's head, and an explosive attached to the arrow detonated. For a second the head was covered in a fireball, scorching the back but leaving no lasting damage. Across the airfield Tahno was standing on top of an Equalist robot, hijacked by Asami and driving towards the Destroyer. Asami pressed a button inside to make the machine fire an electrified cable from its arm at the Destroyer, attaching to its shoulders and shocking the titan. Tahno shot off another pair of explosive arrows that hit the Destroyer's arm, distracting it enough for the Hulk to punch its head.

Stumbling back a few feet before recovering, the Destroyer faced Asami and Tahno. Its featureless face segmented and was drawn down into the head, surprising its mortal opponents. There was nothing inside the Destroyer's helmet, just empty space where a human head should have been. Empty space that was quickly filling up with fire.

* * *

"The Avatar needs to be reminded of the power I possess."

Amon started walking towards his airbender captives, deliberately taking his time to goad Korra into attacking. He chose to target the little boy Meelo first, expecting that to rile up Korra's emotions the most. When Amon heard the sound of lightning charging inside the arena he took it as a sign to dodge, and he jumped to the side just in time to avoid a lightning strike from Korra's hammer.

During the lightning strike Shran threw his shield, bouncing off the wall next to him and then the stage floor, bouncing up to hit a chi blocker next to the airbenders. After the initial throw Shran jumped onto the handrail of the referee booth and leaped off it, planting his feet on the wall halfway to the stage and leaping off that. Shran reached the stage after his shield bounced off the chi blocker, grabbing his weapon as he rolled on the stage to soften his landing.

With a quick swing of her hammer and holding onto it Korra threw herself across to the stage, landing on her feet and striking another chi blocker. There were more chi blockers on the stage, but they stepped back to make room for Whiplash. Korra saw Whiplash demonstrate his weapons by swinging the whips vertically, the electric charge in them leaving scorch marks in the stage.

Whiplash swung his right whip at Korra's head, but it was deflected by a swing of her hammer. More swings of the whips followed, each trying to electrocute the Avatar. Shran got in front of Korra and raised his shield, blocking every strike. Korra hurried to Tenzin and used a small flame from her fingers to melt through the chains binding him, while Shran kept his shield in between them and Whiplash.

"Where are Pema and the baby?" Korra asked, melting through the first lock binding Tenzin's hands.

"In prison," Tenzin answered.

"And Bei Fong?" Korra asked, working on the lock binding Tenzin's legs.

"I don't know," Tenzin answered. He felt the chains holding him loosen as Korra finished her work, releasing him to join the fight. Immediately Tenzin threw gusts of wind at Whiplash and Amon, trying to buy time for Korra to release his kids. Amon dodged the wind and Whiplash stood his ground to let the wind blow around him.

After withstanding one of Tenzin's wind attacks Whiplash swung both whips down at both of his opponents. One kept Shran busy to block the attack, and the other Tenzin tried to dodge. Tenzin was just a second too slow, the whip wrapping around his right wrist. Electricity surged from the whip through Tenzin's body, making him scream and fall limp. With a yank on the whip around Tenzin's wrist Whiplash pulled him away from Shran, falling at the feet of Amon.

"Tenzin!" Korra yelled, just as she finished freeing all of the airbender kids.

Amon grabbed Tenzin's shoulder and hauled him up to his knees, so that his actions could be in full view of the audience. With the other hand Amon placed it on Tenzin's forehead, his thumb right on the tip of the arrow tattoo. Amon only needed a few seconds to use his power on the only airbending master in the world, taking away his bending and then letting Tenzin collapse in front of him.

"One down, three to go," Amon said.

Primal fury erupted in Korra as she saw Tenzin fall, and she raised her hammer upward. A massive bolt of lightning came down from the heavens, breaking through the roof and hitting Korra's hammer. Absorbing the lightning supercharged the weapon, wreathing the hammer in electricity as it retained the charge. Korra threw the electrified hammer at Amon, aimed straight for his heart.

At the last second Whiplash got in between the hammer and Amon, letting the weapon hit him instead of his leader. All of the lightning discharged in the strike, killing Whiplash instantly. The corpse was pushed backward by the hammer's force, hitting Amon and tossing him off the end of the stage. Amon pushed the body off himself and onto the hammer resting next to him, then retreated through a side door instead of getting back on the stage.

All three of Tenzin's kids hurried to their father's side, struggling to get up with his arms. "Dad! Get up!" all three of them cried out, each trying to help him stand. But their father's legs weren't moving.

"I can't…" Tenzin muttered. "I can't feel my legs."

Shran ran over to Tenzin and grabbed his arm, lifting him up and putting Tenzin's arm around his shoulders. "I've got you," Shran said, holding Tenzin up.

"We need to get you out of here," Korra said, summoning her hammer back to her hand. She used a lightning strike to burn through the backdrop behind the stage and break through the covered wall, making a door that led into a hallway beneath the stands.

Korra led the airbender kids into the hallway while Shran carried Tenzin, taking a turn that led towards the practice gym. Further down the hallway was an intersection with another path, one direction continuing to the gym while the other led to an exit. Along the way Jinora whispered in Ikki's ear, and at the intersection they worked together to airbend a large sphere of dense wind.

"Put dad on this," Jinora insisted.

"We'll get him out," Ikki added.

Shran carefully placed Tenzin on the sphere of wind, which sagged under his weight. The kids moved the sphere to carry Tenzin through the hallway, his limp feet dragging on the floor. Korra wanted to make sure they got away safely this time, but she heard a door open behind her. She turned to look and saw Amon entering the hallway, wanting to face Korra in private and not have to hold anything back.

Korra shot a bolt of lightning at Amon and then set the floor ablaze with firebending, not bothering to see if her attack hit the target. With Shran behind her Korra ran for the gym, hoping to lure Amon there and away from the others. They barged through the doors of the gym and deliberately let them swing freely, counting on the sound to attract Amon.

They only had a few seconds to set up an ambush before Amon followed into the gym, having leaped through the burning hallway fast enough to not get burned. Korra and Shran were hiding behind drapes that covered pro bending equipment, which had been left to gather dust after the sport was effectively banned after Amon's purge of bending. Amon slowly walked across the gym, listening for the breathing of his enemies.

Right before she was about to attack Korra let out a sigh, which was all the advance warning Amon needed. Amon reached towards Korra's hiding place and she was yanked out, her body not responding to her will. Slowly Korra was lifted off the floor in front of Amon, forced to let go of her hammer and let it fall to the floor.

Shran left his cover and threw his shield at Amon, but he stepped to the side and dodged it. The shield bounced off the far wall and came back at Amon, but missed again as Amon stepped back to where he had been before the throw. Shran caught his shield but couldn't throw it again before Amon reached towards him with his free hand, bloodbending him as well and dropping the shield. Shran fell to his knees in the bloodbending, finding the strength to stop himself from falling onto his chest.

Amon immobilized Korra and Shran with his bloodbending, finding it harder to hold the super soldier in place. Dismissing the oddity as a side effect of Shran's creation, Amon kept his attention on Korra. With slow steps Amon walked behind Korra, taking his time and enjoying the moment. Amon forced Korra onto her knees and grabbed her shoulder, then slowly lowered his other hand onto Korra's head. With his thumb on Korra's forehead, Amon used his specialized form of bloodbending on the Avatar. Then he let Korra collapse in front of him, her bending gone.

"I told you I would destroy you."

* * *

Asami and Tahno only had a second to dodge the Destroyer's next attack, a concentrated beam of fire from the open helmet. Asami steered the hijacked robot to the right, and the beam grazed the machine's left shoulder. Minimal contact melted the shoulder and the arm broke off, while the beam continued on. The attack hit an abandoned robot that had been behind Asami's, exploding on the direct hit and leaving bits of scrap metal behind.

Right before Destroyer could fire again the Hulk punched its head, turning it towards the hangar. The beam fired and hit the side of the structure, obliterating the entire wall in an explosion. Without the wall supporting the roof the entire building collapsed, leaving only rubble behind. Hulk tackled the Destroyer and forced its face towards the ground, firing the beam into the dirt.

Destroyer forced Hulk off and faced him, then fired the beam directly into Hulk's chest. It blasted Hulk into the ground and exploded, appearing to consume the Hulk. When the dust settled the Hulk was still intact, with a burn on his green chest. The pain made Hulk angrier and fueled his strength, and the burn slowly healed itself.

In the short time it took Hulk to heal the Destroyer turned towards Asami and Tahno, firing the beam at the hijacked robot. It wasn't aware that they had already abandoned the machine and let it get blown up. The Destroyer aimed its face at every abandoned machine, firing at them one at a time until all were gone.

Tahno crouched with his bow raised, aiming an arrow at the Destroyer. He saw it raise its left foot to take a step back towards the Hulk, giving him an idea. Lowering his aim Tahno shot an arrow at the Destroyer's foot, piercing the heel. When Destroyer put the foot on the ground an explosive attached to the arrow detonated, blowing out the back half the foot. Unable to hold any weight the leg collapsed and the Destroyer fell onto its knee, and its head turned towards Tahno.

"That idea seemed better in my head," Tahno muttered, seeing the Destroyer about to fire at him.

Asami ran towards Tahno and tackled him, getting both of them to tumble out of the way when Destroyer fired its beam. The explosion blew both of them away, showered by scattered rocks as they fell in the dirt. Both of them looked up and saw the Destroyer about to fire again, the open face aimed at them.

The Hulk got up and grabbed the back of Destroyer's head and yanked it backward, directing the beam into the sky and vaporizing a passing flock of grouse-geese. Then he spun the Destroyer around and punched it in the gut. The Destroyer blocked another punch with its arm, and then aimed its face to fire at the Hulk again. Hulk saw the flames fill up the empty space in Destroyer's helmet, and he punched the helmet right before it could fire. Hulk's green fist plugged the hole that was the Destroyer's face, containing the blast inside the titan.

Small whips of flame slipped out of gaps between green skin and living metal, but not enough to relieve the pressure inside the Destroyer. Hulk's fist burned inside the helmet as he held it there, letting the pain fuel his rage. Fire backed up inside the Destroyer, pressure building inside its chest. With nowhere to go the energy of the blast made Destroyer's chest swell and turn red hot. The entire torso exploded with enough force to make the Hulk fly out of the airfield, crashing into the side of a cliff. A crater was left in the airfield with the Destroyer's legs half buried there, while the arms had been flung to opposite sides of the airfield.

Debris rained down over the airfield for nearly a minute, requiring Asami and Tahno to shield their faces with their arms until it stopped. Asami got up first and helped Tahno get to his feet. "I think we're done here," Asami guessed.

"Yeah," Tahno agreed. He looked around and saw another crafter in the cliff nearby, noticing the Hulk falling from it to the ground and lying there facedown. "You think he's happy?"

Asami shrugged, and then started walking over out of the airfield. She stopped just a few feet away from the Hulk, seeing the helmet of the Destroyer still around Hulk's fist and smoking. "Are you alright?"

The Hulk rolled onto his back and looked at the smoking remains of the Destroyer's head on his fist, the burns on his fingers gradually healing. "Good Fight," Hulk commented, before letting his head drop backward to the ground. Satisfaction with his victory replaced the rage in the Hulk, making his body shrink and return to Bolin.

And on the other side of the airfield Loki smiled and slowly walked away, satisfied by the battle between titans. The destruction of the Destroyer was no loss to Loki, as its ultimate loyalty was to Loki's father. Now that weapon could not be used against him, even if his sleeping king desired it. So Loki left the forest around the airfield, with no one ever knowing he was even there at all.

* * *

Rocketing across though the air into the skyline of Republic City, Mako and Iroh chased the aircrafts across the city. The flight was on a straight path towards the second United Forces fleet, the pilots were attempting to reach and destroy it before they could run out of fuel. When Mako got close enough to the nearest aircraft he blasted fire at it, hitting a wing and making the aircraft spin out of control. A second fireblast hit the aircraft dead center, making it explode into pieces too small to cause significant damage to building below.

With a burst of speed Iroh rocketed ahead of Mako, closing the distance between him and the next aircraft. Instead of destroying the aircraft Iroh landed on its right wing, using it as a platform so that he could focus on fighting instead of flying. Blasting fire ahead Iroh hit two more aircrafts, which fell out of the sky in burning wrecks.

On the left wing Mako landed next to Iroh. "Good idea," Mako commented, shooting down another aircraft ahead of them. "I guess this is what sidekicks are for."

"Don't even start," Iroh said, blasting the wing of one more aircraft. Then he heard the pilot ejecting from the aircraft they were standing on, and without anyone controlling it the aircraft started to spin. Quickly Iroh jumped into the spot where the seat used to be, grabbing onto the handle that steered the vehicle. He needed a moment to figure out the controls, and then got the aircraft back on course so that Mako could shoot down the remaining six aircrafts ahead.

As Iroh piloted the hijacked aircraft towards the others the pilots saw Mako standing on the wing, taking evasive action to avoid his flames. Half of them flew higher into the sky, while the rest flew lower and closer to the skyscrapers below. Mako blasted fire down and hit the wing of one aircraft, making it spin in midair until it crashed into a building.

Mako stuck his head into the space for the pilot. "I'm going down below, you deal with the ones up high!" Before Iroh could offer a better plan Mako jumped off the wing and dived after the lower aircrafts. With gravity assisting the thrust from his flames Mako flew fast enough to reach one aircraft before its pilot could see him, ramming the vehicle hard enough to break it into pieces.

Above the skyscrapers Iroh closed the distance between him and one aircraft, preparing to shoot a crippling fireblast. But the pilot in front pulled a knob that released a snare from his aircraft, which whipped through the air and got caught on the propeller of Iroh's hijacked aircraft. The snare locked the propeller in place and jammed the aircraft's engine, rendering it unable to maintain its speed.

Iroh jumped out of the stalled aircraft and blasted fire to fly under his own power again, his flames setting the stalled aircraft on fire. He shot some more fire at the aircraft in front of him, destroying a wing and forcing the rest to spiral into a collision with a building below. The other two aircrafts at his altitude made beelines for the bay, trying to escape the war machine after it.

Down below Mako chased one aircraft through the city's skyline, which was trying to lose him with quick turns around the tall buildings. Mako missed the turn around one skyscraper, flying across one street and making the turn after the next building. At the next street intersection Mako caught up with the aircraft, but he didn't see it from behind the building until it was too late to avoid crashing into it.

Disoriented by the collision Mako fell towards the pavement below, surrounded by debris from the aircraft. Pedestrians screamed at seeing Iron Man falling out of the sky, except for the ones hurrying away from falling aircraft parts. Only a few stories above the pavement Mako reoriented himself and blasted fire down, slowing his fall until he was just a few feet off the ground, then rose back up into the air.

The two remaining aircrafts were approaching Avatar Aang Memorial Island when Iroh caught up with them. One aircraft was directly ahead of the other, which was an opportunity for Iroh to destroy both of them at once. He flew higher and blasted fire at the aircraft in front, hitting it and breaking it apart. Wreckage from the aircraft broke apart and scattered in midair, fragments hitting the last aircraft. The pieces damaged the wings, but it continued to fly. Iroh flew beneath the damaged aircraft and then up to touch the bottom of it, nudging it just enough to make it hit the mask on the giant statue of Avatar Aang.

After flying around the head of the statue and then landing on the staff the statue held, Iroh looked at the crash site. The mask fell off the face of Avatar Aang, crashing into the island below. Iroh aimed both palms down and blasted fire onto the Equalist banners that hung from the staff, delighted to see them burn away.

"You're welcome Aang," Iroh said, now that the statue had been restored. He heard more flames nearby and saw Mako flying towards him, and no other aircrafts in sight.

Mako landed next to Iroh on the statue's staff, just big enough for the two of them. He looked down and saw the giant mask in pieces. "Nice work."

* * *

Amon looked down at Korra in front of him, too weak to get up. Reveling in the moment he dreamed about for years, he released his bloodbending hold on Korra. "Finally, you are powerless."

"Not entirely…" Korra muttered. She reached for her hammer and summoned it to her hand, then swung up to hit Amon's head. But Amon bloodbended her again before she could hit, forcing Korra to drop the hammer between them.

"An interesting weapon, independent of bending," Amon commented. He reached down with his right hand to take it, while using his left hand to maintain the bloodbending on Korra and Shran. With a tight grip on the handle Amon tried to lift the hammer, but it refused to move for him. Surprised by the sudden weight Amon gripped the handle with both hands and lifted with his legs, which had no effect on the hammer.

In that moment of frustration the bloodbending weakened, allowing Shran to overcome its grip and grab his shield. Putting all of his strength into a single throw Shran hurled his weapon at Amon, hitting him in the face and making him stumble backward. When Shran caught his shield he also got a good look at Amon's mask, which cracked from the nose to the left cheek.

Immediately Amon reinforced his bloodbending on Shran, reminding himself to not get distracted again. And yet Shran still stood in spite of the bloodbending, though his tense face showed that he was struggling to resist it. Shran looked like he was about to collapse, as if he were burdened by clothes made of lead.

Amon chuckled for a few seconds at the sight. "So the super soldier can overcome bloodbending after all."

"Well you are the third person to bloodbend me," Shran said, barely able to stand and hold his shield. Despite the pain of fighting his own body, Shran forced a smile. "I'm sure anyone could do this if you bloodbend them often enough."

"Perhaps," Amon acknowledged. He glanced down at the unliftable hammer, guessing that something about Korra allowed her to wield it. Amon started bloodbending Korra again, but chose to only control her right arm. He made Korra's right hand grip onto the handle, and then lifted her with bloodbending.

In the grip of its owner the hammer lifted off the floor, and Amon forced Korra's arm to raise the hammer above her head. Fear gripped Korra as Amon turned her weapon against her ally, powerless to stop it. "Run!"

Amon flung Korra across the gym, her hammer aimed at Shran's head. It took all of Shran's strength to resist bloodbending enough to raise his shield high enough to block. Korra saw that her weapon would be blocked, and at the last second she chose to gamble. She willed the hammer to electrify itself with its mystical power, right before striking the shield. The pure vibranium shield absorbed the impact and the electricity, reflecting it back the way it came.

The shield released the energy of the hammer strike in a shockwave that blew Korra away, which continued on to hit Amon. The shockwave tore apart the half of the gym Shran was facing, throwing equipment towards Amon and the wall behind him. Amon was blown out of the gym and into the hallway beyond, slamming into the next wall with enough force to dent the metal. Equipment caught in the shockwave crashed into Amon, burying him in it before Korra slammed into the pile.

Shran didn't waste any time running across the ravaged gym to reach Korra, trying to get her to safety before Amon could recover. Shran lifted Korra in both of his arms and carried her down the hallway, which ended at a window beside a side door. He left the hammer behind next to the pile of equipment, figuring that it was best to retrieve it later.

They had almost reached the door when Amon pushed the pile of equipment off himself, getting up and facing his foes. Two new cracks were in his mask, one along its jaw and the other between its right eye and its mouth. Amon reached towards Shran and concentrated his bloodbending on the legs, making Shran trip and drop Korra. She slid along the floor until she hit the end of the hallway, lying right below the window.

Amon walked along the hallway until he was up close to Shran, then grabbed his shoulder and forced him onto his knees. He used all of his bloodbending to hold Shran's arms in place, while he held his free arm above him. "I've never done this to a nonbender," Amon admitted. "Let's find out what happens."

"No!" Korra yelled, reaching towards Amon. Behind him the hammer lifted off the ground and flew towards Korra, high enough to be eye level with her enemy.

Amon turned around in time to see the hammer, but not soon enough to dodge it. The hammer hit Amon in the face, making a loud metallic thud sound on impact. Enough force from the blow sent Amon flying towards Korra and over her, smashing into the window behind her. Korra's hammer flew outside and fell into the water of the bay beside the arena, while Amon was halfway out the window. Hanging on by his legs while his vision spun in circles, Amon could barely think in the pain.

Slowly Amon pulled himself up, showing a heavily damaged mask still on his face. Riddled with cracks and chips breaking off along the edges, the mask had taken most of the damage from the attack. Amon's face was already swelling with bruises and he was having difficulty thinking, though a small part of his mind realized he had a concussion. For the moment he was vulnerable, unable to focus on bloodbending while in need of medical attention.

Shran stood up with his shield in hand. "Catch!" Shran threw the shield at Amon, hitting him in the chest hard enough to knock him out the window. The shield bounced back to Shran, and he hurried to the broken window to watch Amon plummet into the water below.

People outside saw Amon fall into the water, uncertain if it was him or not. His damaged mask shattered when he plunged into the depths, and the pieces floated to the surface for everyone to see. At first the people were furious when they recognized the pieces, many believing that the Equalist leader had been killed. They looked up to the broken window and saw Shran helping Korra get to her feet, her outfit reverting to the chi blocker disguise with her hammer at the bottom of the bay.

Below the surface Amon slowly sank into the depths, for the moment knocked out. Subconscious waterbending automatically applied the healing gift to Amon's face, the water around it glowing as it restored his face. The bruises gradually faded away and his mind cleared, while the burn makeup washed away.

Suddenly waking up and drowning Amon instinctively started waterbending, as he needed to get air back in his lungs immediately. A column of spiraling water rose from the surface, carrying Amon with it. He emerged at the top and gasped for air, in full view of the people. Too late he realized that he had just confirmed the story that the Avatar had told the people, revealing that he was a bender.

Knowing that the people were about to turn against him Amon plunged back into the water, using his bending to swim at high speed below the surface. From the broken window Korra and Shran watched him get away, with no means of stopping him. All they could do was let out sighs of relief, as the battle was finally over.

* * *

Over the next few days life slowly returned to normal in Republic City. The Equalist revolution fell apart without its leader, many deserting it when they learned that Amon himself was a bender. Nonbenders returned to their daily routines, momentarily reprieved from the government and metalbending police. Many of the city's benders struggled to cope with the loss of their power during Amon's short reign and his purge of bending.

One former bender had been hit harder than most, now confined to a wheelchair. Tenzin was resting on the docks of his home island, stuck to the chair while looking towards the city. Though his wife and kids were safe on the island again, the cost had been high for Tenzin. Now he couldn't even leave the island without help, though he still had family willing to assist him.

Tenzin wanted to be alone for a while, but he heard someone walking behind him. He gripped the wheels of his chair and turned around, seeing Lin walking up to him. "How are you doing?" Tenzin asked.

"I'm managing," Lin answered. She gotten out of prison shortly after the revolution fell, but she still felt like a prisoner without her bending. "Are you going to be alright?"

"I don't know," Tenzin admitted. Suddenly intense pain filled his mind, and he gripped his head with his left hand.

Lin's eyes widened as she saw Tenzin in pain, recognizing the expression she hadn't seen on him since they were teenagers. It only lasted a few seconds, which was more than enough to worry Lin. She crouched beside Tenzin to be eye level with him. "The migraines are back, aren't they?"

Tenzin didn't answer right away, letting his hands fall to his lap. He let out a sigh before admitting the truth. "Yes."

* * *

At City Hall a provisional government was being established by the United Forces military, only meant to last until the city council could be reformed. The Northern Water Tribe hadn't selected a new representative to replace Tarrlok yet, and the three abducted members of the council were still missing. General Iroh had been selected to head the provisional government, as he was already in the city when the United Forces second fleet arrived. Iroh had his war machine safely stashed away, as he wanted to introduce the weapon to the military under circumstances he could control.

Outside the building Iroh saw Shran examining a motorcycle commandeered from a former Equalist. Shran was wearing a brown leather coat over his Captain Republic uniform, his shield strapped to his back. A few soldiers had gladly shown Shran how to drive the motorcycle, honored to instruct a living legend. Iroh didn't want Shran to leave, as he could be useful in keeping the peace.

Iroh walked up to Shran, stopping a few feet behind him. "You could stay and help rebuild," Iroh suggested.

"Is that an order?" Shran asked, checking the fuel tank of the motorcycle.

Though Iroh wanted to say yes, he had to be honest. "No. But you don't have to leave."

"It's a new world out there," Shran explained. "I've been out of the loop too long. And I can't correct that by staying here."

Iroh considered arguing, but decided not to. "Well if you need anything, just ask."

Shran faced Iroh and saluted. "I'll keep that in mind, General."

Iroh returned the salute. "Safe travels, Captain."

Mentally reciting the driving lessons Shran sat on the motorcycle and started the engine. He slowly drove away from City Hall, taking his time getting the motorcycle up to speed. Shran explored the streets of Republic City until he got used to riding the vehicle, then drove onto a highway that led out of the city. The road led through the mountains around the city, which was the main shipping route for the United Republic of Nations.

Along the way Shran drove by Bolin walking along the side of the road. Bolin had a backpack slung over his shoulder, filled with supplies and money provided by Asami. Without an enemy to direct the Hulk's rage towards, Bolin believed he was a danger to everyone around him. So he left the only place he had ever known, starting a self-imposed exile for the safety of others. The Hulk thrived in a world at war, but had no place in a world at peace.

* * *

On the high seas far from the Republic City harbor a small speedboat was heading north. Noatak was steering the boat, while trying to get accustomed to using his real name again after years of being Amon. After his defeat Noatak had released his brother from the cell on Air Temple Island, offering Tarrlok a chance to start over. Now they left the city behind, searching for safe harbor to start new lives.

"The two of us together again," Noatak said, genuinely trying to rekindle the relationship he had with his brother long ago. "There's nothing we can't do."

"Yes, Noatak," Tarrlok said. He felt like he hadn't left the cell at all, still at the mercy of the man that took away his bending.

"Noatak, I'd almost forgotten the sound of my own name." A sudden humming sound caught Noatak's attention, seemingly coming from the speedboat. Immediately on alert, Noatak looked for the source. "Not Now!"

Metal bolts and screws popped out of their places in the boat, and the metal sheets of the hull peeled off the boat's frame in narrow strips. Tarrlok had no defense against the moving metal, getting wrapped in the strips and restrained to his seat. Noatak jumped for the water around the boat, but the metal caught him and wrapped his arms tight to his chest. Both brothers were pulled upward by the metal restraining them, where a man hovered with his arm stretched towards them in a pose vaguely similar to a bloodbender's grip.

The speedboat's frame tore apart and was pulled upward in chunks of metal, revolving around the man in red armor and purple cape. "So, bloodbending was your secret," he commented, while commanding the metal to squeeze tighter on Noatak. "You bent the very brains of benders, clever."

Glaring at the man he knew as Magnus, Noatak used the psychic bloodbending technique on him. In response to the pain Magnus released his hold on the metal binding the brothers, making Noatak and Tarrlok plummet towards the sea and certain drowning. Noatak had no choice but to stop bloodbending to avoid a watery grave, which allowed Magnus to levitate the metal holding them again.

Tarrlok had no idea who the man was, or how he was able to hover in the air. "Who… What are you?"

"I am the future," Magnus answered. He clenched his hand and made the metal binding Noatak squeeze hard enough to crush bones. "And our partnership is over."

* * *

On Air Temple Island Korra was sitting on the edge of a cliff overlooking the bay, Republic City on her right and the open sea on her left. Naga was laying down next to Korra, wanting to comfort her best friend. Korra hadn't bothered to retrieve her hammer from the bottom of the bay, letting it sit beneath the waves. She didn't want to use it as a crutch, relying on the weapon without her bending.

Everyone else on the island was preparing for a journey to the South Pole, so that Tenzin's mother could attempt to restore bending. Korra doubted if it was even possible, as the best healers in Republic City had all tried and failed. Even the best had limits, and Katara was no exception. And if it wasn't possible to get her bending back, Korra considered ending it all here and letting the next Avatar take over.

On the horizon in front of Korra she saw a rainbow, a bridge from one end to the other. She took in the sight as long as it lasted, until storm clouds appeared out of thin air above the island. Korra looked up and saw a column of light shoot out of the clouds and hit the ground right behind her, flashing for a second before fading away. She stood up and looked at the spot the light had hit, which now had four people standing on a circle of strange symbols burned into the ground.

A woman with black hair wearing strange armor was leading three warriors, facing Korra. "Champion of Midgard, you are needed."

"Go away," Korra asked, not wanting to deal with the supernatural or people that used Loki's term for the Avatar. "I can't help anyone without bending."

"Tis not bending we require," the strange woman corrected. "We need the power of the Thunderer."

Korra reached towards the bay, mentally calling to her hammer. The weapon lifted itself off the bottom of the bay and burst out of the water, reaching Korra's hand in seconds. And then Korra threw the hammer at the ground in front of the strangers. "Take it," Korra offered.

"I cannot," the stranger said, not even trying to lift a weapon she knew she could not use. "Mjolnir has chosen you. Asgard needs you."

For a moment Korra thought about the request, while also wondering what was taking everyone else on the island so long to investigate. Naga was calm despite the presence of strangers, which told Korra that the polar bear-dog didn't perceive them as a threat. "Fine," Korra muttered, walking towards the strangers. She picked up her hammer and walked onto the circle of symbols, with Naga joining her.

The column of light reappeared from the sky and hit the same spot of the island, and in a flash they vanished. Only the circle of symbols remained behind, to be discovered by airbenders wondering where Korra had gone.

* * *

For the first time in weeks Asami returned to the Sato mansion, legally hers after Hiroshi had died. It hadn't been safe to live there until after the Equalist movement had fallen, as the organization had a direct route to the mansion through the tunnel to Hiroshi's workshop. Asami had already made several calls to hire enough earthbenders to collapse the tunnel, though they would have to be brought in from outside the bending depleted city.

The mansion also brought up bad memories Asami had, of her father betraying her trust and yet dying to protect her. It seemed empty inside the large home, despite inviting Mako to stay there with her. Asami sat alone in the mansion's parlor, considering a raid of her father's liquor stockpile to drink away the pain.

Asami heard steps at the door and looked up to see the butler. "Miss Sato, there's someone here to see you."

"Let him in," Asami ordered, thinking that a distraction might be good for her.

The butler left to greet the guest at the front door, returning five minutes later. An elderly gentleman wearing a black jacket walked inside the parlor, his hair white with age and wrinkled skin. Asami stood up and greeted him with a bow, but couldn't stop staring at his white mustache and dark glasses. Though the man looked like he was in his eighties, he sure didn't act like it.

"Hello Miss Sato, I hear that you're the new owner of Future Industries."

"I already told Iroh I'm not mass producing iron soldiers," Asami said, assuming that the old man was some retired general.

"Actually I wanted to ask for permission to tell the true story of Republic City's heroes," the old man corrected. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a notebook. He showed Asami the pages of it one at a time, each having detailed drawings of the team that stopped the Equalists.

"Did you draw these?" Asami asked, holding the book open at a drawing of herself.

"A few," the old man claimed. "You see, I own a controlling share of the Daily Tsungi newspaper. And I'm offering a marvel opportunity to tell your story to the people."

"In a picture story form?" Asami asked. "Please don't be comical."

"Comical…" the old man muttered, liking part of the word. "Yes, a marvel comic series, told in strips that inspire true believers as they read it in the daily paper."

Asami thought it over for a moment, figuring that it couldn't hurt if the right person wrote the stories. "I'm sorry, I never asked for your name."

"Lee," he answered. "Mr. Lee."

_A/N: For the record: All Legend of Korra character belong to Nickelodeon, all Avengers characters belong to Marvel, and Mr. Lee belongs to himself._


	9. Vices

_A/N: As I am not patient enough to wait for Book 2 to begin, the next few chapters will expand the integration of Marvel into the Avatar world. Here new plots will be set up, OC's established, consequences of previous chapters explored, et cetera. Hopefully this can be smoothly connected to Book 2 when it starts next spring._

Chapter 9: Vices

Peace did not last long in Republic City, as the fall of the Equalists left a void for another evil to fill. The Red Monsoon Triad was all too eager to take control, after retreating from the city during Amon's reign. Returning to the city relatively unscathed the Red Monsoon Triad was unopposed in the criminal underground, as the other triads had been severely weakened by the bending purge. The other triads avoided the Red Monsoons at all costs, letting the shorthanded police deal with their criminal activity.

In the merchant district of Republic City police vehicles were speeding through the streets, responding to an alarm phoned in by a concerned citizen. With a shortage of metalbenders after Amon's bending purge and disorganized during the rebuilding of the city's government, the police were stretched thin across the city. Only three police vehicles could be spared to respond to the alarm, each transporting one metalbender accompanied by four nonbenders.

The destination was a jewelry store on the corner of one intersection, the third one robbed in the same week. Waterbended ice spread across the pavement for a block in every direction, the work of the Red Monsoon Triad. A van was parked in front of the store, and gang members were using small hovering rivers to carry sacks of stolen goods from the store into the vehicle. They had nearly finished taking what they wanted when they heard police sirens approaching.

"Time's up!" one waterbender alerted the others. Him and two others climbed into the van with the last sack of stolen goods. One removed ice on the road ahead of the van, allowing the driver to safely start driving away.

When the police reached the crime scene they drove right onto the ice behind the Triad van, the first police vehicle sliding past the turn. The other two compensated for the ice and turned in time to follow the van as it drove away. A back door of the van opened to reveal two waterbenders with open barrels of water among the filled sacks. The waterbenders used enough water to make darts of ice, throwing them at the tires of the police. With true aim the ice darts punctured the tires, making the police lose control of the vehicles and crash.

The waterbenders laughed as it appeared that they would have a clean getaway, until they heard the sound of roaring flames above them. One at a time they looked through the van's open back door, seeing Iron Man descending towards them. Iron Man blasted fire down at the van, forcing the waterbenders inside to close the door to shield themselves. When the flames dissipated the waterbenders opened the door again, bending a cold mist into Iron Man's path.

Flying straight into the mist made it freeze into ice on the armor, locking Mako's limbs in place. "Huh, icing problem," Mako muttered as he was about to crash into the pavement. Hitting the ground at a low angle Mako skipped along the road, breaking off the ice in the process. The van got further ahead of Mako before he could get back off the ground on pillars of fire. With a burst of speed Mako caught up with the van, then started blasting fire at the tires.

In the heat the tires popped and made the van lose its traction, moving straight ahead towards a T intersection and a building on the other side. Mako flew above the van and landed on the hood, taking a second to wave at the driver. While keeping one hand on the hood to hold on, Mako blasted fire towards the intersection with his feet and free hand. He used the thrust to slow down the van, forcing it to stop right at the intersection's stop sign.

The waterbenders abandoned the van and started waterbending at Iron Man, hoping to kill him and earn respect in the criminal underground. Their water attacks met bursts of flame which turned the water into steam. Mako ran towards the waterbenders and punched two in the face at the same time, instantly bringing down both of them. He was about to strike the third one, but recognized him.

"Hasook?" Mako muttered, halting his attack and surprising the waterbender.

"Have we met?" Hasook asked, not recognizing Mako's voice through the helmet.

Mako took off his helmet and let his former pro bending teammate see his face. "Remember me?"

"Ah crud," Hasook muttered, thinking that his former team captain still held a grudge for abandoning the Fire Ferrets.

Mako put the helmet back on and aimed one palm at Hasook. "So, are we doing this the easy way or the hard way?"

Hasook let his arms drop to his sides. "Easy way," he muttered, knowing that he didn't have a chance one on one.

"Thought so," Mako muttered. He grabbed Hasook by the shirt and threw him back inside the van for safekeeping until the police could arrive.

Five minutes later the police vehicle that had slid past the right turn arrived, parking on the corner next to the van. The three nonbenders accompanying the one metalbender started handcuffing the waterbenders, locking them away in the back of the police vehicle. The metalbender walked up to Iron Man and bowed in respect.

"Good work catching these criminals Iron Man," the metalbender said. "We could use a person like you on the force."

"Only if Bei Fong is put back in charge," Mako insisted.

"She hasn't asked to be reinstated." The metalbender walked up to the van and opened the backdoor. One sack of stolen goods fell out and tore open on the pavement, spilling rings of every size, metal, and gemstone.

"Okay…" Mako muttered, looking at the spilled loot. He watched the metalbender open the other sacks in the van, finding more rings and nothing else. "Why would someone rob a jewelry store and only steal rings?"

* * *

Meanwhile two simultaneous robberies on the other side of Republic City succeeded without a hitch, which had planned to increase the odds each one avoiding the attention of the police and Iron Man. Easily escaping the police and having no heroes to evade, the waterbenders responsible returned to the Red Monsoon Triad's headquarters near the city's docks. After unloading the take of rings the waterbenders accepted their generous pay and spent it on bootlegged sake. None of them cared why their orders were to only steal rings, just that success fattened their wallets.

One room in the headquarters was set aside to sort through the stolen rings, setting aside the quality ones to be sold on the black market. More generic rings were thrown in a pile to be dismantled later, as the smaller gemstones and precious metals were more valuable in larger quantities. Gold and silver from the rings would be smelted down into pure bars, which could not be metalbended when refined properly. The dozen gang members sorting through the rings had one in particular they were supposed to find, which the leader of the triad wanted for herself.

A Water Tribe woman in her twenties named Kursa was the leader of the Red Monsoon Triad, having earned that position by defeating the previous leader with her superior waterbending. She was tall and had large curves in her body, which she used to distract her enemies in battle. Her brown hair was long and kept in a single braid, resting on the shoulder of the blue coat she wore.

Kursa was watching her underlings sorting through the rings, keeping a keen eye for the one she desired. She walked around the long table with the rings on them, making sure that each of the gang members working there weren't slipping any rings into their sleeves. Her dark blue eyes looked back and forth along the table, uncertain if the ring she wanted was even among the rings here or if it was at the failed robbery.

"Found it!" a young man with brown hair named Koz declared. He held up a gold ring with a blue gemstone in it, which was carved to have two curved points on the same end of the stone. Inscribed on the blue gemstone was the symbol for Water in the ancient language, read upright when the two tips were pointed up. "Just as you said it would look like, boss."

"Excellent," Kursa congratulated, walking up to Koz. She took the ring from Koz and held it close to her eyes, examining it in greater detail. It was a perfect match to an ancient scroll Kursa had found a few months ago, which had confirmed that the ring had existed in the past. "Koz, come with me. The rest of you, take two handfuls of rings each and never speak of this again."

The gang members gladly followed the command, as the price of silence was over a year's pay in jewelry. Kursa led Koz to through the headquarters to her private chambers, a wide hall that could fit a modest home inside. A moat flowed along the base of each wall, giving Kursa all the water she could ever need to fend off assassins. Hanging from the high walls were tapestries of every known Water Tribe Avatar, even one of Avatar Korra that Kursa had commissioned without Korra's knowledge. Kursa had once dreamed of recruiting the young Avatar as a potential successor, but the opportunity had never arrived.

Kursa sat down on an ornate chair by a fireplace and gestured for Koz to sit on another next to her. Since Koz had found the ring and didn't try to take it for himself, Kursa believed that he had earned the right to know what he had found. "Tell me Koz, what do you know about this ring?"

Shrugging as he sat down, Koz gave the only answer he knew. "Just that it's a relic of the ancients."

"If one believes the lore, it was forged by the first Water Tribe Avatar in the North Pole's spirit oasis," Kursa added, holding up the ring in the light of the fireplace. "Ancient texts suggest that it holds a portion of the Moon spirit's power, from before Yue replaced it."

"Is that true?" Koz asked. While he dressed and kept his hair in the traditional warrior style of the Southern Water Tribe, he never believed any of the superstitions.

"We might never know," Kursa admitted, as the only firsthand records surviving from that time were believed to be in the lost library of Wan Shi Tong. "But the legends claim that this ring bestows the power of ten full moons, when worn by a waterbender. Now we can find out if those legends are accurate."

"If they are, you could challenge the Avatar with that kind of power," Koz claimed, getting excited to see what it could do.

"If she hadn't vanished without a trace, yes," Kursa agreed. She slipped the ring onto her right middle finger, where the gemstone's points were towards the back of her hand. Immediately she felt like she could sense the light of a full moon, in spite of knowing that it was a new moon tonight. "I think it's time for a test run."

* * *

In the evening Mako flew to the Sato mansion, landing on the roof as the sun started to dip into the horizon. He took off his Iron Man helmet and walked through a door to enter a stairwell, looking for Asami inside. During the weeks after Amon's fall Asami had been calling every business contact Future Industries had, trying to find any leads to where Korra had disappeared. Mako found Asami inside the study, currently on the phone with a Gaoling division of Cabbage Corp.

When Asami saw Mako walking in she decided to end the call immediately. "I'll call you back," Asami said into the phone, right before hanging up.

"Did you find anything?" Mako asked, setting down his helmet on the desk.

Asami shook her head and sighed. "Nothing, it's like Korra vanished into thin air."

"And Bolin?" Mako asked.

"He's somewhere in the northern Earth Kingdom," Asami answered. She didn't know exactly where Bolin was, but had pointed him in that direction when he left. "He's not coming back."

Mako looked away, feeling guilty for letting his brother leave without saying goodbye. Without another word he picked up his helmet and walked out of the study, thinking about going on a night patrol as Iron Man. Helping the city was a distraction to keep the guilt at bay, and something to make up for Korra's disappearance. The city needed someone to combat the Red Monsoon Triad, which had filled the power vacuum left behind by the Equalist collapse.

Asami let Mako leave and picked up the phone again, calling another business contact in Omashu. She had no luck on that call, or the next dozen after it. Before she knew it night had come, not noticing the sun going down through the window. Asami stopped only when she ran out of people to call, none having any idea where the Avatar was.

The night was still young when Asami noticed an odd smell, finding it familiar but struggling to tell what it was. She was walking down the main staircase in the front hall and saw the butler heading the other way. "Hey, is Mako still here?"

"Yes Miss Sato," the butler answered. "I last saw him in the cellar."

"The cellar…" Asami muttered. Suddenly she realized what the smell was. "Oh no, he found dad's stockpile."

Immediately Asami hurried to the bottom of the mansion to reach the cellar, where Hiroshi had stashed away a lifetime supply of liquor. The law that enacted prohibition a few years ago only outlawed production and sale of alcohol, but not drinking it. That loophole allowed rich people like Hiroshi to buy as much as they could find before the law took effect, ensuring an ample personal supply until an inevitable repeal of prohibition could happen.

When Asami reached the cellar she found several empty bottles rolling on the floor, and she looked past them to see Mako slouching in the corner. He was still wearing the Iron Man armor, which had spilled liquor staining the chest piece. Mako had the helmet in one hand and another bottle in the other, finishing off the contents and then reaching for one of the hundreds more on a shelf next to him.

"Mako, stop!" Asami yelled, running to him and grabbing the bottle Mako just took.

Drunk for the first time in his life, Mako didn't care what he said. "I let them down," Mako muttered, keeping a firm grip on the bottle. "Mom and Dad, they'd be mad at me."

"No they wouldn't," Asami said, trying to get the bottle out of Mako's hand.

"I had to take care of bro," Mako said. Squeezing too tight made the bottle shatter in his hand, spilling liquor over his arm. "He was my only family left, and I lost him."

"It's not your fault," Asami reassured, wiping spilled liquor and bits of glass off her hand. "Bolin can take care of himself."

That didn't stop Mako from reaching for yet another bottle, but was stopped by Asami holding back his arm. "Just let me have one more."

"You've had more than enough," Asami insisted. She grabbed Mako's arm with both hands and hauled him up to his knees, struggling while the armor was still on him. Then she dragged him out of the cellar, the knees of his armor screeching against the floor. Along the way out Asami saw the labels on empty bottles, noticing that Mako had wasted the good stuff attempting to drink himself stupid. Asami dragged Mako all the way to the kitchen, only pausing once for Mako to throw up.

In the kitchen Asami turned on a radio and turned the dial to a station playing soothing music. Then she got started cleaning up Mako, using a wet cloth to wash his face. Mako's breath reeked of alcohol, enough that would get him arrested on the streets. Asami didn't want to imagine the hangover Mako was going to have in the morning. She left the kitchen to find the butler to ask him for any intoxication remedies. Right after Asami left Mako heard something interrupt the radio.

"_We interrupt this program for an emergency alert! All citizens must evacuate from the east river boardwalk. Waterbenders of unknown number have dammed and are flooding the river. Repeat, all citizens must evacuate!"_

* * *

A wall of water rushing through a street swept away a dozen satomobiles, flooding the street and smashing the cars into one another. Civilians retreated into tall buildings ahead of the wave, seeking any kind of shelter from the flood. Water hit doors hard enough to break them down, flooding the first floor of every building along the street. People that didn't start climbing stairs inside got caught in the floodwaters, the unlucky few drowning inside.

Kursa stood on top of a thick wall of ice damming the east river, waterbending the entire river and redirecting the current into the city streets. All on her own Kursa bended enough water to flood several city blocks upriver from the dam, while the rest of the Red Monsoon Triad robbed the city district blind. Nearby police had no choice but to retreat from the raging floodwaters, abandoning the civilians in the flooded buildings.

With a wave of her arm Kursa froze the water in the streets, making a sheet of ice two stories tall and trapping people still inside the buildings. Kursa grinned and looked at the ring on her hand, wishing she had found it years ago. Then she spun her arms to bend a massive column of water around herself, using it to ascend to the roof of a skyscraper next to the ice dam. Swinging both arms Kursa spread the river's water down several more blocks, then froze it into more ice.

The light of fire in the night sky alerted Kursa to the presence of Iron Man, and she faced the direction he was flying from. "About time you got here," Kursa muttered, having expected him to arrive fifteen minutes ago. But something seemed off about the hero flying towards Kursa, as Iron Man seemed to be flying in a zigzag pattern.

Mako flew towards the rooftop Kursa was standing on, but blurred vision made him misjudge the distance. He crashed into the roof and tumbled across it, stopping when his back slammed into a low wall that ringed the roof. Mako got to his feet and stumbled towards Kursa, uncertain which of the three identical women he should attack first. He blasted fire at what he thought was the right target, which completely missed Kursa.

"Is something wrong?" Kursa asked in a mocking tone, having expected better from Iron Man. Kursa bended a thick stream of water up from the frozen streets, casually throwing it at her enemy. The water hit Iron Man and carried him off the roof, flowing with him to the frozen street below. Kursa saw Iron Man fall out of the water halfway down the fall, but continued to plummet towards the ice covered ground.

Blasting fire down slowed Mako's fall, and also melted enough ice beneath him to make a steaming pool of water. Mako fell into the hot water and sank a few feet, needing to stand up to get his head above the surface. He looked up and saw Kursa jump off the roof and pull a large column of water up from the ice, catching herself and gently lowering her to the ice near Iron Man.

"Aw crap, I'm in trouble," Mako muttered, as even with blurred vision he could see that he wasn't dealing with a normal waterbender.

Kursa raised both hands to bend a large wave of water from the ice, sending it straight at Iron Man. The wave caught Mako and carried him down the frozen street, crashing against a large truck stuck in an intersection. Kursa brought her hands down to refreeze the water, making ice spread down the street. Mako grabbed the side of the truck in the street and hauled himself out of the water before it could freeze with him in it.

On top of the truck Mako blasted fire at Kursa, aiming for the blurry shape that slightly resembled a person. With a wave of her arm Kursa bended more than enough water to block the flames, making a cloud of steam rise into the air. Mako sustained the fireblast at Kursa, while she made her own torrent of water that pushed back against the flames. The water overwhelmed the fire and hit Mako head on, covering him completely.

Clenching her hand into a fist Kursa froze the water around Iron Man into a block of ice, deliberately leaving his head exposed so she could gloat over him. Kursa summoned the block of ice to her, positioning it to make it look like Iron Man was standing in front of her. "So much for the city's new hero," Kursa said.

"Not gonna lie," Mako muttered. "I'm having an off night."

At first Kursa didn't believe him, thinking that he was just making up an excuse for why he lost. But then she noticed the all too familiar stench of alcohol. "Are you drunk?" Kursa asked, thinking that heroes were supposed be above that sort of behavior.

"Maybe," Mako answered.

Kursa grinded her teeth for a moment, annoyed that her victory was spoiled by fighting a drunk opponent. "There's no glory in killing an intoxicated enemy," Kursa said, getting up close to Iron Man. "I'm going to let you live. When I kill you, it will be when you're at you're best."

With that, Kursa turned around and walked away. Mako could only watch her leave while he was stuck in the ice, needing time to bend heat through his hands and melt away the ice. By the time Mako freed himself Kursa was long gone, off to rendezvous with her gang on the crime spree across the city. Mako stumbled over to the river and used a wide blast of fire to melt the ice dam, releasing the river to flow in its normal path. Then Mako took flight and landed on a nearby rooftop, laying down on it to sleep off the alcohol.

* * *

An hour later Kursa was back in the Red Monsoon Triad headquarters, inside a large dining hall to celebrate with everyone under her command. The test run of her ring's power had been a success, and damming the east river had distracted the police enough to allow the biggest crime spree Republic City had ever known. Everyone that participated was getting bonus pay for the night's work, and the honor of sharing a meal with the leader of the triad.

While sitting at the head of a long table with a feast in front of her, Kursa lifted a glass of imported Water Tribe sea wine. "To the Red Monsoon, the future owners of Republic City!"

Sitting next to Kursa was Koz, and he lifted his glass as well. "To our leader!" he added.

Suddenly a bright sphere of light interrupted the toast, flashing in the center of the dining hall above the long table. When the light vanished there was a tall intruder standing on the table, clad in thick black armor that covered every part of his body. His helmet resembled one of the ancient dragons, with a pair of long horns and a mouth that looked like it was about to breathe fire.

"The ring!" the intruder demanded, his voice deep and commanding. "Hand it over!"

Kursa was about to demand to know what power allowed the intruder to appear inside the dining hall, but then noticed rings on his hands similar to her own. Four rings were in the intruder's possession, each with a gold band but a different gemstone and symbol inscribed. A white gemstone with Light inscribed was on his right pinky, a gray gemstone with Travel inscribed was on his right middle finger, a black gemstone with Armor inscribed was on his left thumb, and a red gemstone with Fire inscribed was on his left ring finger.

"Who do you think you are?" Kursa demanded. She gestured to a moat that ringed the edges of the dining hall, a wave of her hand making the water flow faster. "You're surrounded by waterbenders with their element all around them."

Instead of answering the demand the armored intruder punched with his left fist, bending a fireball at Kursa. With a wave of her arm Kursa bended enough water to her to block the fire, then made a large waterwhip and threw it at the intruder. The intruder held up his right hand and a sphere of light emerged from it, covering him and flashing to make him vanish. He reappeared at Kursa's left side and punched another fireball, giving the waterbender only a second to block with summoned water.

Every gang member in the room pulled water from the moat lining the walls, creating hundreds of ice spears. Taking careful aim to not hit their leader, the waterbenders all threw the spears at the intruder. He saw the attacks coming and disappeared in another sphere of light, letting the spears crash into each other and shatter into thousands of tiny ice shards.

Reappearing in the middle of several gang members, the intruder grabbed two heads and slammed them into each other. Then he punched another hard enough to make the waterbender fall back into one behind him, while using his other arm to grab another gang member and throw him across the room. Next he swung his armored arm around to toss away remaining waterbenders onto the long table, scattering the food and dishes onto the floor.

Kursa started bending water from every corner of the room, hurling it at the intruder in a shrinking but thickening circle of water. All of the water from the moat crashed into itself as the circle closed, crushing anything caught inside. Water sprayed everywhere during the collision, but when it was finished that part of the room was empty.

Another sphere of light flashed behind Kursa, and she turned around in time to see another fireball coming at her. Kursa dodged the fireball and waterbended a wave to strike at the intruder, but he vanished in another sphere of light before it could hit. After the wave passed the intruder reappeared in front of Kursa, and he grabbed her throat in an armored hand. With a quick twist of his wrist he snapped Kursa's neck, killing her instantly.

Nearby Koz stared in horror as the intruder pulled the ring off Kursa's limp hand, seeing the body drop when the intruder had no more use of it. "Who are you?" Koz asked, while bowing to a person that could easily kill him and everyone else in the room.

"I am the Mandarin," he answered, holding the Water ring up to his eyes. "And if you wish to live beyond this moment, you will serve me."

"Of course, sir," Koz said. It was common practice among the different triads that victory through combat passed the role of leadership, ensuring that strong bending and keen wits were always in command. But having a firebender command the waterbending Red Monsoon Triad was a new complication. "But we may need to rename this triad, as you are not a waterbender."

"On the contrary," the Mandarin said, slipping his new ring onto his left index finger. He swung his left arm, and a wave of water flowed across the floor. "Now I am a waterbender."

* * *

The next morning Mako stumbled into the Sato mansion, his head feeling like it was being squeezed in a vice. As he walked through the building he took off the Iron Man armor one piece at a time, leaving the pieces in a line towards the bedroom Asami had given him. In the bedroom Mako collapsed onto his bed, wanting to sleep off the bad hangover.

In the late hours of the morning Asami found the scattered pieces of the Iron Man armor, telling her that Mako had gotten back alive. She gathered all the pieces of the armor and set them aside, planning to make Mako clean and repair all of it once he sobered up. When she was finished Asami heard Mako wake up, his groans echoing through the halls of her mansion. She walked into Mako's bedroom, seeing him sit up in the bed.

Mako looked at the door and saw Asami walking inside. "Hey," Mako muttered.

"You were really stupid last night," Asami said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, I got that," Mako agreed, rubbing his head with one hand.

Asami shook her head. "You're lucky you didn't die out there."

"No drinking and flying, got it," Mako said. "Can I go back to sleep now?"

"In a minute," Asami answered. "I thought you'd like to know that Iroh called while you were out. He's got the entire United Forces searching the globe for Korra, and the search is being led by Commander Bumi himself."

"Do they have any leads?" Mako asked.

"Bumi's checking Air Temple Island for anything we might have missed," Asami answered. "If anyone can find Korra, it will be Tenzin's brother."

"_If_ anyone can find her," Mako muttered.

"Don't lose hope," Asami insisted. "She's out there somewhere."

"Yeah," Mako said, lying back down on the bed. "I'll help out when this headache goes away."

Asami turned to leave the bedroom and let Mako sleep, but stopped in the doorway. "Mako, next time you feel like drinking, let me know first."

"So that you can stop me?" Mako asked.

"So that you do it right," Asami corrected. "Hangovers aren't so bad when you've got a drinking buddy to share with."

_A/N: As Iron Man 3 is still half a year away I can't really use its version of the Mandarin, since we haven't seen what he's like yet. Instead I'm using the Iron Man Armored Adventures version as a template, with alterations to better fit the Avatar world._


	10. Voices

Chapter 10: Voices

At his home Tenzin watched his children play outside the house on Air Temple Island, using the art of airbending that he could no longer perform. While sitting in a wheelchair outside Tenzin held his newborn son Rohan, who had tiny fingers in Tenzin's beard. Tenzin let the baby play with his beard, silently wondering if Rohan would be an airbender. There was no way to tell so early in the boy's life, as no one had ever bended any element at an age younger than four. For now Tenzin settled for his three airbending children, seeing Jinora leap high above Ikki and Meelo on an airbended updraft.

Jinora's leap peaked twenty feet above the ground, giving her a good view of the island's port. She saw a battleship from the United Forces stopping at the island, and a smile spread across her face. "Uncle Bumi's here!" Jinora announced as she drifted slowly to the ground, getting her siblings excited.

Tenzin let out a sigh and looked away. "Great, now I have to entertain my brother."

Half an hour later Commander Bumi arrived at Tenzin's home, giving a giant hug to his nieces and nephew. Bumi lifted all three of them up at once, and after a second he let their weight make him fall onto his back. "You're all getting too big for this," Bumi said.

The kids laughed and got off of their uncle, letting him get back on his feet. "We've missed you," Meelo said.

"It's been too long since your last visit," Jinora complained.

"Stay longer this time," Ikki asked.

"You know I can't promise anything," Bumi said, rubbing Ikki's hair. Bumi looked around and saw Tenzin, then walked up to him and Bumi's new nephew. "Hey Tenzin, congrats on having a fourth kid."

"Thank you," Tenzin said. He gently took Rohan's little fingers out of his beard, then lifted the baby up to Bumi. "Say hello to your nephew Rohan."

Bumi gently took Rohan and looked into the baby boy's eyes, finding them somewhat familiar. "He has dad's eyes."

"Yes," Tenzin muttered. He reached up to take his son back, but sudden pain in his head interrupted. Tenzin's gripped his head and closed his eyes, and his brother saw the pain.

"Are you alright?" Bumi asked.

"Do I look alright?" Tenzin replied, while the pain slowly faded.

"You should have told me about this," Bumi said. "I could have brought mother…"

"That didn't work the last time she tried," Tenzin argued. The pain stopped and Tenzin sighed. "Could you bring Rohan to Pema for me, please?"

"Sure," Bumi said.

Tenzin gripped the wheels of his chair used it to turn and move into the house, needing a new ramp to get inside with the wheelchair. Refusing to let any of the Air Acolytes help him, Tenzin wheeled himself through the house towards his study. Along the way Bumi passed Tenzin in the hallways to meet Pema in the living room, handing over the baby to the mother.

Once Tenzin was in his study he shut the door behind him, and then parked his wheelchair at his desk. Tenzin opened a drawer and took out a blank scroll along with a brush and ink, placing everything on top of the desk. He started writing down instructions for advanced airbending techniques, along with drawings of the physical motions involved. It was no substitute for a proper airbending master, but Tenzin wanted to give his kids a way to learn the techniques without him. It would be years before they were all ready for the most advanced airbending forms, and Tenzin wasn't sure if he would be able to teach them after years of being unable to use airbending.

An hour passed while Tenzin was writing, filling several scrolls with knowledge and putting them on a shelf. He put down the brush before turning his head towards the door. "You can come in Jinora."

The door slowly opened and Jinora peeked inside. "How'd you know it was me?"

"I have my ways," Tenzin answered. He turned his wheelchair towards Jinora and gestured for her to come closer. "What's on your mind?"

Jinora walked over to her father and sat on the desk, being eye level with him there. "Well I've been reading everything I can find about migraines, just in case there's something that can help."

"That's very thoughtful," Tenzin said.

"But what I've read doesn't match your migraines," Jinora continued.

"I don't expect them to," Tenzin answered. "It's because they're not normal migraines."

"Then what are they?" Jinora asked.

"A gift that I was born with," Tenzin answered. "But some gifts come at a price. This one I couldn't pay when I was younger."

"What do you mean?" Jinora asked.

Tenzin sighed, wondering if Jinora was ready to understand his condition. "For that, you'll need to hear a story."

* * *

**Thirty Three Years Ago**

A seventeen year old Tenzin was flying with his glider over the finally completed skyscrapers of Republic City, hurrying to reach the home of a friend on the inland side. His bald head had yet to receive the arrow tattoo of an airbending master, still having much to learn from his father. A stubble of facial hair was on Tenzin's chin, the beginning of a beard that he was trying to grow. Though he was trying to reach his destination as quickly as possible, Tenzin still enjoyed the experience of flight.

A wide single story home was Tenzin's destination, whose owner preferred to be as close to the ground as possible. Tenzin ignored policemen that blocked off the streets around the building, landing at the front door. He threw the door open and ran inside, noticing that some of the walls had been nearly destroyed in a fight. The stone floors were still completely smooth, which told Tenzin that the two earthbenders that lived here hadn't been home at the time. That relief didn't stop Tenzin from rushing to the room of his girlfriend, Lin Bei Fong.

Tenzin heard Lin long before he reached her room, the sounds of earth and metalbending ringing through her door. When Tenzin opened the door he saw Lin using metalbended cabled to smash dozens of earthbended statues, practicing the techniques taught by her mother. Tenzin waited for Lin to finish her workout before entering, knowing better than to interrupt an angry metalbender.

When Lin was finished she smoothened out the floor with earthbending, and then turned to look at Tenzin. "Hey," Lin muttered, pulling loose bangs away from her eyes.

"I came as soon as I heard what happened," Tenzin said, walking into Lin's room. He couldn't help but notice sweat from Lin's workout running down her unmarked cheeks, though he tried to stop that train of thought. "Who would want to abduct your dad?"

"Who _could_ abduct him is a better question," Lin said. "I'm sure you saw dad's handiwork on the way here."

"Couldn't miss it," Tenzin said. "It's a wonder there weren't any bodies."

"They must have taken their dead with them," Lin guessed. She sighed and started walking towards the door. "I'm going to search for him, are you coming with?"

"You don't need to ask," Tenzin said, following Lin out of her room.

Together Lin and Tenzin left the house and started searching for Lin's dad, checking places that the police wouldn't go. Despite Lin's mother being the Chief of Police, Lin still had a few contacts in the criminal underground. There were always snitches willing to rat-bat out other criminals in exchange for bribes. Lin led Tenzin to a bar on the east side of Republic City, where she knew one snitch worked.

The bar was a dark and gritty place, a relatively safe haven for people with questionable motives. After changing into common brown clothes Lin and Tenzin walked into the bar, while no one inside noticed another pair of faces. Among the dozens of bar patrons was talk of the city council banning the sale of alcohol, but few believed the council would actually do it.

Lin looked around the bar and saw the snitch she was looking for, who was sitting at a table with his back to a corner. "There he is," Lin whispered, discreetly pointing to the young man with brown hair.

The snitch drank a shot of firewhiskey right before he saw Lin. He put the glass down on the table and gestured for Lin to sit at the table. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked when Lin was close enough.

"Not in the mood Zolt," Lin said as she took a seat, while Tenzin took another next to her. "Who put out the hit?"

"What hit?" Zolt asked. He held up a hand and rubbed a finger against his thumb. Lin took a hundred yuan bill out of her pocket and slid it across the table to Zolt. "Ah, now I remember. The hit last night was made by a foreign organization. None of the local triads are stupid enough to target him."

"Give me names," Lin demanded, handing over another hundred yuan bill.

"Rumor has it that your uncle is involved," Zolt answered.

"I don't have an uncle," Lin stated.

"It was a rumor," Zolt said. He pushed his chair back to the wall and stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to get out of the way."

Tenzin had a nagging feeling that something bad was about to happen. "Of what?" he asked.

"That," Zolt answered, stepping to the side as a fireball was thrown from across the bar into the spot he used to be.

Immediately Lin and Tenzin stood up and turned around, seeing six thugs grouped together. Equally divided into fire, water, and earthbenders, they were members of the Triple Threat Triad. Each had a handful of their element held in their hands, ready to strike. They had orders to find and eliminate the triad's snitch, some glad to discover that Zolt was their target. Finding the Chief of Police's daughter and the Avatar's son was a bonus, as killing them would earn respect.

The lead thug holding flames glared at Lin, finding her the most appealing target. "We're going to make this hurt."

"Seriously?" Lin questioned, crossing her arms. "Just walk away."

"Kill them," the thug ordered the others, starting with a stream of fire from both hands.

Lin casually swung an arm to earthbend a shield of stone from the floor, blocking the fire aimed at her. With a shoving motion she sent the stone shield across the bar, slamming into the firebender and shoving him into the wall behind him. "Who's next?" Lin taunted, ready to take on the remaining thugs by herself.

A waterbender and an earthbender mixed their elements and hurled mud at Lin, counting on their combined will to overpower any counterbending from Lin. But Zolt intercepted the attack with his firebending, boiling away the water in the mud and baking it into hard clay that Lin shattered with earthbending. Before the pieces of clay could hit the floor Zolt was throwing more fire at the thugs, but their earthbenders raised a rock wall to block the attack.

The rock wall was lowered for a few seconds by the earthbenders, just long enough for water and fire attacks to get through. Lin and Zolt ducked and let the attacks hit the wall behind them, then returned fire with rock and flames. The earthbenders had their wall raise back up, which was destroyed when Lin and Zolt's attacks hit. The demolished wall left a cloud of dust in the bar, which Lin used as a cover for her next move. Before the thugs could see what she was doing Lin bended metal cables at them, ensnaring one of the earthbenders and yanking him into her fist.

While Lin punched out the earthbender Zolt was charging a bolt of lightning, waiting for the dust cloud to settle and give him a clear shot. He fired at the first thug he could see, hitting a waterbender and killing him. Zolt threw some flames at the remaining thugs, but his attacks were extinguished by the second waterbender making a liquid barrier. Zolt smiled as he quickly charged a weaker bolt of lightning and fired it, hitting the barrier and conducting through it to kill the waterbender.

The remaining earth and firebender attacked Lin at the same time, combining their elements into molten rock. Lin used a metal cable to snare a wooden table and used it as a shield, blocking the attack but getting set on fire in the process. She threw the burning table at the two thugs, which the firebender destroyed with a quick fireblast. Lin followed the attack with a pair of earthbended blocks, one striking the firebender while the earthbender destroyed the block aimed at him. Blocking Lin's attack left the earthbender vulnerable to a fireblast from Zolt, finishing the last thug.

And all the while Tenzin stood at the table by the wall, snacking on crackers while confident that he didn't need to get involved. But he saw the first firebender get up after Lin's initial attack, grabbing the closest waitress he could reach. The firebender moved to light a flame at the throat of his new hostage, but Tenzin airbended a gust of wind at him first. The wind hit the firebender and blew him away from the waitress, slamming into the wall again.

"You forgot one," Tenzin commented, referring to the thug he had stopped.

"So I did," Lin said, while taking the time to bind all of the surviving thugs with metal. She saw the ones Zolt had killed and glared at him. "Was killing them necessary?"

"They'd have killed us," Zolt reasoned, poking a body with his foot. "Someday, I'm going to own the Triple Threats."

"Not if you keep killing them," Tenzin warned, walking across the bar to the scared waitress. He helped the waitress get back on her feet, while letting her fix her brown hair. "It's safe now."

"Thank you," the waitress said, and a moment later she left the bar.

Lin waited for the waitress to leave before turning her attention back on the thugs. "Well we had better get this place cleaned up before mother arrives."

* * *

A week passed and the search for Lin's dad continued, but every sign pointed to him being taken out of Republic City. Everyone knew that Toph Bei Fong wanted to turn the world upside down looking for her husband, and some believed that she could literally do it. Covert operatives were dispatched to every corner of the globe, tracking every lead no matter how small. Avatar Aang himself journeyed to every nation, calling upon all of the allies at his disposal to help in the search.

On one cold morning Tenzin was woken up by someone knocking on his bedroom door. He tried to ignore it and get more sleep, but the knocking continued. "Alright, I'm getting up," Tenzin complained. In his sleep clothes Tenzin got out of bed and walked to his door, opening it and seeing his brother standing outside. "What's so important Bumi?"

"You've got a visitor," Bumi answered, jerking a thumb towards the front door.

"I thought Lin went out of town with her mother," Tenzin said.

"This isn't her," Bumi corrected.

"Give me a minute," Tenzin asked, closing the door so he could change in private. Once he was in his usual Air Nomad outfit he opened the door again and left his bedroom. A short walk through the hallway took Tenzin to the front door, passing by some of the Air Acolytes on the way. When Tenzin opened the front door he saw the waitress from the bar, who he just noticed was only a few inches shorter than him.

"Hey," the waitress said, her brown eyes observing Tenzin.

"Have we met?" Tenzin asked, having forgotten about her.

"You saved my life a week ago," the waitress answered.

After a few seconds of thinking Tenzin recalled the hostage situation he averted. "Oh yeah," he muttered. "I never got your name."

"Yuma," she answered. "I wanted to thank you."

"You just did," Tenzin said.

Yuma laughed and twirled some of her hair in her fingers. "Well that wasn't what I had in mind."

Raising one eyebrow, Tenzin wondered what she meant. "What did you have in mind?"

Slipping a hand into her pocket Yuma pulled out a pair of tickets. "A friend got these for me. Interested?"

Tenzin looked at the print on the tickets, reading _The Legend of Kyoshi_. "Of course I'm interested. I've heard that Auntie Suki made them get the story right for once."

With a smile Yuma handed one of the tickets to Tenzin. "I'll meet you there."

In the afternoon Tenzin left the island with his ticket in hand, heading for the new arena built just across the bay. It had been built to accommodate a new sport created recently, but the space inside was shared with other forms of entertainment. Currently leased to the Ember Island Players on their first world tour, the arena had an elaborate stage set up where the sport's ring was supposed to be. Banners hung on the outside of the arena depicting Avatar Kyoshi, attracting patrons that wished to learn about an Avatar so different from Avatar Aang. When Tenzin arrived he found Yuma and walked into the arena, taking their seats and watching the play.

Though he knew the story by heart since he could sit on his aunt's knee, Tenzin still welcomed the recreation of Avatar Kyoshi's life. The actors played up Kyoshi's bending prowess, making it seem like she could separate a whole chain of islands from the mainland Earth Kingdom. A grand earthbending fight between Avatar Kyoshi and Chin the Conqueror had been added to the tale, an acceptable departure from the reality of Chin falling off a cliff. The play glanced over the peasant revolt in Ba Sing Se that Kyoshi had stopped, not even mentioning that Kysohi had created the Dai Li in the process. Tenzin was surprised to see the play change the way Kyoshi died, having her go out in a fight instead of old age at two hundred and thirty years.

When the play ended with a transition to Avatar Roku, the audience applauded and the seats gradually emptied. Tenzin and Yuma waited patiently for the crowd to disperse around them, watching the actors bow to the audience. After a few minutes the crowd thinned enough for Tenzin and Yuma to leave at their own pace, and while they walked they commented on the play.

"Not what I was expecting," Yuma commented while walking into the front lobby.

"But the effects were decent," Tenzin reasoned.

Right then Yuma spotted a familiar face in the lobby, recognizing her friend's unusual white hair. "Hey Tenzin, there's someone I think you'll like."

"Who?" Tenzin asked, while Yuma was tugging on his arm.

Yuma's friend was a teenage boy working as a cashier, currently on break until the next wave of patrons would arrive for the following show. He saw Yuma walking towards him and waved to her. "Hey there Yuma, who's the arm candy?" he asked.

"Tenzin, this is Len Sherr," Yuma introduced.

"Hi," Tenzin said.

"We're grateful for those tickets," Yuma said.

"No problem, I got them at a discount for working here," Len Sherr said. He noticed Tenzin looking at his hair, and Len Sherr decided to get the obvious question out of the way. "Yes, my hair is supposed to be white."

"Well it's different," Tenzin commented.

"Different isn't bad," Len Sherr claimed. "And I like it this way."

"At least you have hair," Tenzin commented.

"Show him your trick," Yuma asked.

Len Sherr reached into a pocket and pulled out several metal coins, letting Tenzin see them in the palm of his hand. He moved his fingers in small motions and the coins levitated off his hand, which started to swirl in the air just above his palm in intricate patterns. Tenzin heard a slight humming sound seemingly coming from the coins.

"Neat metalbending," Tenzin commented.

"Just another way being different is good," Len Sherr said, letting the coins drop back into his hand. "I think only our Chief of Police also has this kind of precise control over metal."

"It's kind of scary what she can do," Tenzin described. "Just like my sister. You wouldn't believe the stuff she can do with waterbending."

"Try me," Len Sherr dared.

"Well Kya can…" a sudden pain in Tenzin's head interrupted him, throbbing hard enough to make him lose his balance. One hand went to a wall to hold himself upright, while the other went to Tenzin's head. For a second it felt like Tenzin was hearing the voices of everyone in the building, from the leaving patrons to the actors preparing for another performance.

"What's wrong?" Yuma asked.

After a few seconds the pain ceased and Tenzin recovered, but the experience left him in no mood to talk. "I should get going," Tenzin said, already starting to walk towards the exit. "I'll see you around."

* * *

Over the next few weeks Tenzin waited for any news about Lin's dad, wishing that the new telephone lines could reach Air Temple Island. When Tenzin's father returned to Republic City every known lead had hit a dead end, but Lin's mother kept searching in the Earth Kingdom. Though Lin wanted to continue searching with her mother, she was ordered to return home with Avatar Aang. And no one argued with Toph Bei Fong.

When Lin arrived she threw open the front door of the house and walked inside, right when Tenzin had been on his way out to greet his father. Tenzin knew Lin had a knack for timing her entrances, which he believed was a benefit of the vibration sight Lin's mother taught. As always Lin's timing surprised Tenzin, nearly bumping into the door as it swung open.

"Stop doing that," Tenzin complained.

Lin tried to hold back a laugh at Tenzin's expense, only letting out a short snicker. "Sorry, I had to."

For a few seconds Tenzin chuckled with Lin, hoping that it would make her feel better. But when Lin's smile faded Tenzin stopped. "Are you going to be okay?" Tenzin asked.

"No," Lin answered.

Tenzin placed one hand on Lin's shoulder, trying to think of a way to cheer her up. "Say, let's visit the park," he suggested. "I hear they've finally added that memorial statue."

The thought of a simple stroll through the park with Tenzin brought a small smile to Lin's face. "Sure."

Right away Tenzin and Lin walked towards the ferries from the island, only pausing to welcome back Avatar Aang. The ferry ride only took a few minutes to cross the bay to the harbor, and from there Tenzin and Lin walked to the park. An island of green in the middle of the city, the slice of nature was a popular escape from the gritty urban landscape. Inside the park Tenzin and Lin enjoyed a stroll along the river that flowed through, ignoring all the other people sharing the scenery.

Along one of the cobblestone paths through the park was a brand new statue, constructed to honor one of Republic City's fallen heroes. Twice as tall as a man and carved by hand, the statue represented an inspiration for nonbenders everywhere. It was one of Tenzin's childhood idols, remembering the sacrifice of Captain Republic.

"They got the nose wrong," Tenzin commented, comparing the statue to the time he met the man when he was just a boy.

"Should have had mother make it," Lin said. "She'd get it perfect."

"And ruin the symbolism," Tenzin added. "It's hand carved because he wasn't a bender."

"I suppose," Lin muttered.

In the corner of his eye Tenzin spotted two people he recently met, Yuma and Len Sherr crossing a bridge over the park's river. Tenzin looked away and hoped they wouldn't notice him, as he wanted to spend the day with Lin only. But Yuma spotted him near the memorial statue and pointed to him. Yuma and Len Sherr finished crossing the bridge and walked towards Tenzin.

"Hey!" Yuma yelled, waving her arm to get Tenzin to see her.

With a sigh Tenzin turned towards Yuma and waved back. "Hi."

Lin crossed her arms and looked at Yuma and Len Sherr. "Friends of yours?" she asked Tenzin.

"She is," Len Sherr answered, pointing at Yuma. "I'm not."

"_Just_ friends," Tenzin added, not wanting to give Lin the wrong idea.

"Yeah," Yuma muttered, hesitating a bit. "We're just friends."

A hint of doubt in Yuma's voice tipped off Lin to her true desires, an unspoken attraction that she wished Tenzin shared. Instead Tenzin was completely oblivious to Yuma's feelings, loyal to his own feelings for Lin. But the mere possibility of someone taking Tenzin away from her while she had been abroad was something Lin would not tolerate.

"Keep it that way," Lin warned, stepping between Tenzin and Yuma.

"Why? Is he taken?" Yuma asked, pointing at Tenzin.

"As a matter of fact, yes," Lin answered. "So stick with the albino."

"I resent that," Len Sherr complained.

"Shut it!" both Lin and Yuma yelled at Len Sherr.

"Uh oh," Tenzin muttered, knowing when Lin was in the mood for violence. But before he could defuse the situation one of his migraines hit, filling his head with pain. And in that moment it seemed like he was hearing thoughts other than his own.

'_Stuck-up rich girl…'_

'_Patronizing townie…'_

'_He's too good for you…'_

'_I saw him first…'_

'_Fight, fight, fight…'_

The last voice seemed to echo through Tenzin's mind, spreading to everyone around him. Neither Lin nor Yuma consciously noticed the influence, only feeling an increasing urge to tear each other apart. Len Sherr eagerly waited for the fight to break out, wanting to see who would win. Tenzin could only struggle to suppress the pain in his mind, completely aware of the effects on Lin and Yuma.

Yuma struck first, landing an uppercut on Lin's jaw. She followed with a punch at Lin's face, which Lin blocked with her forearm. While blocking the punch Lin jammed her right knee into Yuma's gut, using the same motion to earthbend a small earth platform beneath her right foot. Using the platform to get half a foot higher, Lin swung her right leg at Yuma. The kick hit Yuma's shoulders and tossed her a few feet away, tumbling on the ground and stopping at the base of a tree.

Immediately Yuma got back on her feet, which started to sink into the ground. She sunk past her ankles when she spotted Lin earthbending the ground, softening it so much that it couldn't support Yuma's weight. Yuma reached up and grabbed a pair of tree branches, pulling her feet out of the soft earth. Once Yuma was free from the ground she planted her feet on the tree's exposed roots, then broke off the branches she was holding. Yuma threw the branches like spears, but saw Lin break them apart with metalbended cables.

"Can't win without resorting to bending?" Yuma taunted, beckoning for Lin to fight hand to hand.

Lin glared at Yuma, cracking her knuckles. "You asked for it," she warned, and then charged towards Yuma. Once she had a running start Lin leaped at Yuma, thrusting one leg forward. Yuma ducked beneath the attack, letting Lin's foot hit the tree trunk. Lin anticipated the dodge and immediately swung her other leg, kicking Yuma away while Lin dropped onto her hands.

Both girls tumbled before getting back on their feet, but Lin was first to rise. Lin ran towards Yuma and shoved her shoulders into her, grabbing onto Yuma's shirt at the same time. While still running Lin dragged Yuma with her, heading for the memorial statue. Yuma grabbed onto Lin's leg and yanked to the side, tripping her and breaking Lin's grip. Quickly Yuma got up and kicked Lin before she could recover, hitting her side and making her slide across the ground into the base of the statue. Lin got up in time to dodge a punch, stepping aside to let Yuma's fist hit the statue instead.

'_STOP!'_

Suddenly the pain in Tenzin's mind disappeared, lost in the single-minded command. Immediately the fight halted, as both Lin and Yuma screamed in agony while clutching their heads. Their screams were echoed by hundreds more across the entire park, everyone affected except for Tenzin in the center of it all. Weak willed individuals collapsed under the mental strain, leaving only a few still standing and lashing out at a threat they could not see.

Unaware of where the pain was coming from, Lin started earthbending at random trying to make it stop. A foot stomping the ground made a narrow wave of earth which rushed past Tenzin, hitting Len Sherr and knocking him off his feet. A wild swing of her arm hit the memorial statue, her earthbending shattering the statue's base. The rest of the statue tipped over, right on top of a defenseless Yuma.

"No!" Tenzin yelled, airbending a gust of wind to blow Yuma away from the falling statue. He watched in horror as his wind met stone, too late to save the person caught beneath it.

All thought left Tenzin's mind, staring at the consequences of his failure. Panicking amongst the screams starting to fade away, Tenzin ran. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, having left his glider back at home. Home was the only place Tenzin wanted to be, as that was the last place he saw his father. The only person that could possibly ensure that today's tragedy could never happen again.

Only slowing his pace for the ferry ride across the bay, Tenzin reached Air Temple Island as fast as he possibly could on foot. It didn't take long to find his father on the island, as he was discussing some renovations with the Air Acolytes outside. Avatar Aang only needed a glance to see the horror on Tenzin's face, and he immediately dismissed the Air Acolytes with a wave of his hand.

"What happened?" Aang demanded.

Tenzin ran up to his father and held onto his shirt, while tears ran down his face. "Take it away!" Tenzin demanded. All he could think about was how he hurt everyone in the park, constantly seeing Yuma's face in his mind's eye.

The image of Yuma's death seemed to project from Tenzin's mind, appearing in the mind of Avatar Aang. It was all he needed to figure out what happened, that his son had developed a form of telepathy. In hindsight Aang thought that he should have seen this coming, as Tenzin had sporadic and unexplainable migraines since he was just a child. The ability to hear and affect the minds of others was a dangerous gift, one which Aang could understand his son wanting it gone.

"Are you sure?" Aang asked.

"Yes!"

Though reluctant to use his ultimate ability as the Avatar, Aang slowly placed one hand on Tenzin's chest and the other on Tenzin's forehead. "You might lose your airbending," Aang warned, wanting his son to change his mind.

"Do it!" Tenzin begged, staring into his father's eyes. "Please!"

With a sigh Aang focused on the energybending technique, originally intended to take a person's bending away. Silently praying that the spirits would have mercy on both of them, Aang hoped that the technique could be used on the telepathy only. Avatar Aang's eyes and arrow tattoos glowed for a few seconds in the Avatar State, and when it vanished Tenzin collapsed into Aang's arms.

* * *

On the next day Tenzin was standing outside with his back to the wall of his home, facing Republic City and the bad memories from the day before. The physical pain he had to deal with for most of his life was gone, but had been replaced with grief for the life his actions had indirectly taken. Only his own thoughts were in Tenzin's mind, just like everyone else.

Despite having a wall in the way Tenzin could hear his father arguing with his mother inside the house, their voices loud enough to reach him. Katara was yelling at Aang about using that dangerous ability on their son, and Aang was yelling back about their son pleading for it. Tenzin's siblings were staying silent inside, wisely choosing to keep as far away as possible from their parents.

For the moment Tenzin practiced a few of the motions for airbending, but hesitated to putting any power behind the bending forms. Afraid that his airbending was gone, Tenzin was scared to even try airbending at all. But hearing his parents arguing inside convinced Tenzin that he had to try, if only to stop their fighting. Tenzin cupped his hands together and thrust them forward, wanting to create a gust of wind. And on command the wind blew from Tenzin's hands, hitting a nearby tree and blowing off dozens of leaves.

Tenzin sighed in relief, glad that his father wouldn't be the last airbender again. As if on cue Aang stormed out of the house, walking past Tenzin without noticing him there. Tenzin could swear that a miniature windstorm was following Aang, as if emotions alone were subconsciously airbending for him. It convinced Tenzin to wait until Aang was in a better mood.

As he walked away from the house Aang spotted someone unfamiliar approaching, who Tenzin recognized as Len Sherr. Aang stopped when he noticed that Len Sherr was carrying a two year old girl, sleeping in his arms. Despite being in a bad mood, Aang greeted Len Sherr with the usual bow. "Can I help you?" Aang asked.

"Not me, _her_," Len Sherr corrected, gently rocking the child in his arms. "This is the only place she'll be safe."

Avatar Aang observed the sleeping child, her brown hair fluttering in the wind. But Aang couldn't see any family resemblance between the child and Len Sherr. "Where are her parents?"

Struggling to get the words out, Len Sherr answered. "Her mother died yesterday."

A moment of silence passed, then Aang spoke again. "And her father?" he asked.

"She never had one," Len Sherr answered. "Yuma had been raising her alone."

At first Aang didn't respond, thinking about the child was another example of a growing problem in Republic City. More and more children were growing up in broken homes, some missing a parent or having none at all. Orphans were left on the streets every day, neglected by everyone but each other. It was a problem that the Avatar's power could not solve, and Aang knew that he was unsuited for the task. All he could do was encourage the Air Acolytes to take in homeless children and raise them in the Air Nomad traditions.

"She has nowhere else to go?" Aang asked.

"The daycare Yuma used doesn't take in orphans," Len Sherr explained. "Please, this is the only place I know of that won't abuse a child."

Aang took a moment to consider the request, and then pointed to the eastern side of the island. "Bring her to Acolyte Dai Yun," Aang instructed. "She's been trying for months to have her own child with no success."

"Thank you," Len Sherr said. He started to follow the instruction, but Aang raised one hand to tell him to stop.

"One more thing," Aang said. "What's the girl's name?"

"Pema."

* * *

**Present Day**

Tenzin finished telling the story to Jinora, while night had fallen outside. Early in the tale Jinora had gotten off the desk and pulled up a chair, sitting with her knees on the seat and her arms crossed on the chair's back. Jinora listened to every word Tenzin used, fascinated by the part of her father's life she had never known about before. Her imagination painted a vivid picture of the past, as if she could see the memories her father remembered.

"So that's how you and mom met," Jinora said.

"Not really," Tenzin corrected. "At the time she was just another kid to me. I didn't really know her for another seventeen years."

Jinora took a moment to do some math in her head. "Right after grandpa Aang died."

Tenzin nodded. "Yes, and with him the ability to take the pain away."

For a moment Jinora was silent, thinking about the migraines that her father was having. "So when the bad man took your bending, he reversed what grandpa did?"

"And took my legs," Tenzin added, rubbing a limp knee with his hand. "I think Amon was impatient and got sloppy."

Jinora didn't laugh at the poor attempt at a joke, finding the matter all too serious. Instead she changed the subject. "So can you read my thoughts?"

'_Your brother's prank on Bumi will not work.'_

Immediately Jinora's eyes widened in shock, and she leaned back far enough to fall off her chair. Her back hit the floor with a loud thud, but quickly got up and on her feet. "Whoa…" was all she could say, thinking about how Meelo had come up with a prank and told her about it only minutes before Jinora had entered Tenzin's study.

"So you did hear that," Tenzin commented, one hand stroking his beard. "That could be useful."

"Like some kind of cordless telephone," Jinora suggested.

"That depends on my range," Tenzin said, thinking about the possibilities now that he had no choice but to live with the mental gift. At that moment he noticed something on the other side of the study's door. He turned his wheelchair towards the door and raised his voice. "What do you want Bumi?"

The door opened and Bumi walked inside, wondering how Tenzin had known he was there before he could have knocked. Bumi was holding a notepad in one hand and handed it to his brother. "I took a look at that strange circle of symbols that the kids found after Korra disappeared."

Tenzin looked at the notepad Bumi gave him, seeing several symbols written down and several attempts at a translation. Some of the attempted translation included the words Bifrost and Rainbow Bridge, which made no sense to Tenzin. "What did you find?" Tenzin asked.

Bumi tapped on one symbol on the notepad. "This one was repeated the most, and it's in one of dad's old Air Nomad books."

"And it means…?" Tenzin said, not understanding the word Bumi wrote beneath the symbol as a translation.

"Asgard."


	11. Visitors

_A/N: Happy New Year!_

Chapter 11: Visitors

In a land untouched by mortal men, a shining city reached for the heavens and spanned from horizon to horizon. Towers of gold and glass scrapped the sky, the shortest among them several times taller than any building built by man. Sustained by a fusion of magic and science, wielding advanced technology and sorcery as one in the same. From the perspective of humankind, this was the home of gods.

Asgard.

The lord of the land, Odin, was sleeping in the city's citadel. His power alone could protect the people of Asgard, but he required rest once a year to sustain his strength. Enemies of the realm attacked during the brief times when Odin could not defend himself, seeking to destroy him and all in Asgard. As regular as the cycle of the seasons, invaders attacked and were repelled only to attack again in the next Odinsleep.

Ice Giants of Jotunheim waged war on the Asgardians during the Odinsleep, their armies from the frozen realm marching on Asgard's walls. Numbers beyond measure poured through a rift between the realms, dark magic keeping it open while Odin was unable to seal the breach. Legions of giants, trolls, and goblins clashed with the Asgardian armies defending the city, like a wave crashing against a shore.

Leading the defense of Asgard was the Lady Sif, commander of the Valkyries. A legion of women riding winged horses diving onto the battlefield, cleaving off the heads of their foes with their swords. Lady Sif's black hair flowed in the wind, even as the blood of her enemies spilled all around her. She commanded her steed to charge through a mass of giants, slaying her way through the enemy forces ahead of the Warriors Three.

Fandral the Dashing, the best with a blade, was slaying goblins that managed to find themselves behind the Lady Sif. He refused to wear a helmet even in battle, as Fandral liked to have his short blond hair and goatee on display for all to see. Not a single drop of blood stained his hair, as the strikes of his sword were so precise that he could direct spilled blood away from himself. Wearing green clothing that left only his arms bare, Fanral pictured himself as the ideal man for the ladies.

Hogun the Grim, master of the mace, fought beside his comrade Fandral. Each swing of his mace crushed the bones of every goblin and troll that was caught beneath it, and he didn't care how much blood spilled onto his black and blue armor. A fur lined helmet covered his black hair, leaving only his determined face exposed with his black beard.

Volstagg the Valiant, the gluttonous grappler, tore apart the foes that attempted to outflank his comrades. Wider than he was tall, Volstagg's deceptive fat lured in his foes to their demise. Spilled blood stained his red hair and thick beard, and more blood sprayed on Volstagg as he tore trolls apart limb by limb.

The Warriors Three followed Lady Sif through the battlefield, leaving a path of torn flesh and spilled blood in their wake. Asgardian forces held back the Ice Giants on the left and right flanks, holding their ground against the enemy. The invading hordes continued to press against the defenders, making the Asgardians pay for each of their own slain. For just a moment it seemed like the Asgardian line would break, before the sound of thunder echoed across the battlefield.

Korra the Avatar, the Champion of Midgard, rode into battle atop her polar bear-dog Naga. The Avatar wore platemail armor and a red cape, along with a new winged helmet that covered her brown hair. The beast bore armor fit for a war hound, and Naga crushed enemy soldiers whole beneath her large front paws. Wielding the enchanted uru-hammer Mjolnir, Korra possessed the power of the Thunderer. Each swing and thrust of the hammer shot lightning at the enemy, slaying dozens of tightly packed soldiers at a time.

Leaping off Naga into a horde of goblins and trolls, Korra swung her hammer at anything within her reach. Skulls shattered and bones broke in each strike, slaying every enemy around Korra. The thrill of battle was nearly enough to make Korra forget about losing her ability to command the elements, even if she had never been able to command the air in the first place. Here Korra was a soldier, fighting for a realm that had asked for her help.

Advancing through the enemy forces Korra caught up with Lady Sif, both slaughtering giants that attempted to stop them. Once she was in position Korra used her hammer to fire lightning into the horde ahead of her, while Sif used her sword to slay the foes that slipped past Korra's attack. Behind them the Warriors Three and Naga spread out to protect their flanks, funneling the enemy into Korra's lightning.

Just when it seemed like the fighting would never end, a giant horn sounded from behind enemy lines. Fighting continued where invaders met Asgardians, but the forces immediately behind the front lines ceased their advance. Ice Giants commanding the invaders gave the order to fall back and regroup, lest more of their own fall to the power of the Thunderer.

"They're retreating!" Sif announced, while skewering a goblin's chest.

Korra stopped her lightning attack and saw the enemy withdrawing. Behind her the armies of Asgard cheered for victory. "Is it really over?" Korra asked, turning towards the Warriors Three.

"Nay," Hogun answered, taking a second to bash a dying troll's face with his mace. "Tis only a respite, they'll be back."

Nearby Fandral casually sliced off the head of a wounded goblin, barely bothering to look at the foe before the strike. "They'll return in the morning with more soldiers."

"But for tonight, we feast," Volstagg declared, patting his large belly. "I can smell the kitchens cooking already."

Fandrall jabbed an elbow into Volstagg's arm. "You always smell that."

"For him, they are always cooking," Hogun added, poking fun at his comrade's appetite.

"Tis true," Volstagg said, laughing with his comrades.

Lady Sif ignored the jests at Volstagg's expense, overlooking the battlefield as the enemy withdrew. There had been casualties during the battle, as there always were in every Odinsleep. But this time there were more dead and dying than usual. For a moment she doubted if they could hold off the next attack, wondering if the time had come for Ragnarok.

In times past when such doubt was in her mind, Sif had the comfort of her only love. But that was no longer possible, as the Thunderer's power had passed to another. "What happened to you Thor?"

* * *

In another realm known to Asgardians as Midgard, sitting in a padded cell, was the man once known as the god of thunder. Stripped of his title and power by Odin himself, Thor had been exiled to Midgard for his arrogance. Now in a place called Republic City, the locals had arrested him on sight. Blond hair was literally out of this world in the human realm, attracting the attention of everyone around him. Unaware that he had broken something called 'traffic laws' by walking in front of a horseless carriage, Thor had been immediately imprisoned by the city's metal sorcerers.

Having told the truth about himself and why he had been banished, Thor was declared insane and thrown into an asylum. At best the human knowledge of Asgardian lore was a mere child's bedtime story, and at worst it was blasphemy against the spirits that some humans worshiped. Thor's explanations of his origins were ignored as the ramblings of a madman, and he was left inside the padded asylum cell with only himself for company.

Now Thor sulked in the corner of his cell, bound in a straightjacket like all the other inmates. Chunks of his blond hair had been cut off by humans, once they learned that it was naturally that color instead of dyed yellow. Humans studied Thor's blond hair as if it were a mutation, trying to find out what possible benefits it could possess. They would find nothing remarkable other than the color, as without his power Thor was just as mortal as the humans.

Alone in his cell Thor wondered if this was what Odin had intended, that he would find humility in a primitive madhouse. But all he found was resentment towards his father, thinking that Odin had greatly overreacted in banishing him. Each passing moment Thor missed the company of his comrades, from lovely Sif to each of the Warriors Three. Even Loki was missed, though Thor suspected that his trickster brother might have had a hand in making his banishment happen.

There was a knock on the door to Thor's cells, getting his attention. "Go away," Thor demanded, despite it always falling on deaf ears.

The door opened anyway, and the person entering surprised Thor by having a familiar face. "Is that any way to greet your brother?"

For a moment Thor didn't believe his eyes, staring at Loki here in the flesh. Though Loki wore a green business suit and could blend in with the humans, it was still him to Thor. Right away Thor got onto his feet, but with his arms bound in the straightjacket he could not greet Loki properly. "Tis good to see you," Thor admitted.

"Aye," Loki said, closing the door once he was inside. "But I bear ill tidings."

"What has happened?" Thor asked.

"Mjolnir has been claimed by another," Loki answered.

"Impossible," Thor claimed.

Loki held out one hand with the palm facing up, conjuring an illusion in front of Thor. A miniature image of Avatar Korra appeared, wielding the uru-hammer Mjolnir. At first Thor didn't believe it, as illusions could be made to show anything. But when the image showed Korra using the hammer to destroy a human airship, the fine detail was clear enough to tell Thor that it had really happened. That Loki had been there when Korra used Mjolnir.

"Even now she strives to take your place," Loki claimed, closing his hand to dispel the illusion. "The Odinsleep is upon us, and she is in Asgard fighting in father's defense."

With eyes downcast, Thor slumped back against the padded wall. "Then there's no hope," he muttered. "I can't go home now."

"You're wrong brother," Loki said. "Asgard needs you now more than ever." With a wave of his hand Loki conjured another illusion, this time filling half of the cell. Loki showed Thor a battle between the Destroyer and the Hulk, which ended in the Destroyer's destruction. "Odin's last defense is no more."

For a moment Thor stared at the image, fear for his home growing in his mind. For the first time it seemed possible that the end of days for Asgard may be at hand, that without him his home would burn in Ragnarok. "This could be the end of everything," Thor speculated.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Loki assured, dispelling the illusion once more. From inside his suit Loki drew a small dagger and he started cutting apart the straightjacket binding Thor.

"You would defy father's decree?" Thor questioned.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Loki said.

Once Loki was finished the straightjacket was cut into confetti, Thor took a moment to stretch his freed arms. "How will you get us home?" Thor asked. "I cannot use the Bifrost."

"There are other ways to reach Asgard, but first we have to get you out of here," Loki said, putting away his dagger. Loki used a few hand motions to conjure another illusion, creating a double of Thor with the straightjacket still intact. "The mortals will never even know you're gone."

* * *

In Asgard's golden citadel, a feast was held for the defenders of the realm. The citadel's dining hall was longer than the eye could see, filled with the men and women that were victorious in battle. Food and drink were piled onto the long tables in the hall, every cuisine known to Asgardians was on the menu. Everyone ate to their hearts content, some more than others.

Volstagg had been stuffing his face with spit roasted boar when Naga planted her front paws just a few feet away, and the polar bear-dog devoured several baked chickens whole. Next to her best friend Korra declared an eating contest, which Volstagg gladly obliged. It had been centuries since anyone could come close to the sheer volume of food Volstagg could consume, and Naga certainly tried to match him. Dozens of pig, turkey, and fish vanished in under half an hour, before Naga's head fell against the table unable to eat any more.

"A valiant attempt," Volstagg complimented, patting Naga behind the ears. "You've gotten me to remember what being full felt like."

"No small feat," Hogun added, sitting across from Volstagg and taking his time to enjoy every bite of salmon.

Nearby Korra laughed at the joke, before going back to sampling as many different dishes as she could manage. Everything on the table was exotic to her, all coming from animals that weren't like the hybrids of Earth. Korra was taking a bite of fried ham when she noticed Fandrall taking a seat next to her. "Need something?" Korra asked.

Leaning a little too close for comfort, Fandrall offered Korra a pint of ale. "Just thought I might get to know the new girl," he said.

"Alright," Korra said, grabbing the pint. She lifted it to her lips and drank it all at once, letting a small amount dribble onto her chin. When the pint was empty she slammed it on the table, immediately feeling the effect of ale much stronger than ordinary liquor. With her inhibitions lowered, Korra did what felt natural against unwelcome advances. She punched Fandrall in the face.

Silence fell across the hall as Fandrall hit the floor, all sight on Korra. For a moment Korra wondered if she had been too blunt, until she saw smiles form on the nearest Asgardians. All at once they started brawling with each other, fists and feet hurling at anything that moved. Only a few remained in their seats and continued eating, taking the occasional moment to block an incoming strike. Without even looking behind himself Hogun held up a fist and let an attacker run into it, then continued his meal.

The benign brawl lasted for an hour, all goodhearted sparring that left no permanent injuries. It was part of Asgardian tradition during the Odinsleep, allowing the warriors to fight for the fun of it instead of for survival. There were some bruises and scrapes in the free for all fight, nothing that Asgard's healers couldn't mend with magic.

Not in the mood for more fighting, Korra left the dining hall unnoticed in the chaos. Carrying her hammer through the citadel Korra wandered towards the quarters that had been provided when she first arrived. Without a guide in the massive structure, Korra got lost for half an hour trying to find her destination. Eventually she found the door to the room given to her, high in the citadel.

The sheer size of her quarters still surprised Korra, as it could hold Tenzin's house ten times over. The bed alone was larger than her old room, made of the finest mahogany and lined with silk sheets. Korra set her hammer down on a table and walked over to some large curtains and opened them, taking in the view of Asgard through large windows. Even at night the view took Korra's breath away, the gold towers shining below stars so different from the ones at home. And in the distance was the coastline, with the Rainbow Bridge that connected the city to the Bifrost that brought Korra to this strange realm.

A knock at the door got Korra's attention. "Come in."

The door opened and revealed Sif outside, escorting Naga to Korra's quarters. The polar bear-dog leaped onto the large bed and laid down on the end, only taking up a small portion of the space. Sif followed into the room, her gaze falling on the hammer before Korra. "How are you settling in?"

"It's still a shock," Korra admitted. She turned away from the window and took a few steps towards Sif. "I don't think I could ever get used to this place."

"You can return to Midgard when Odin awakes," Sif reminded.

"Yeah, I know," Korra said. She looked at the hammer still on the table, thinking that it was the only reason she was here. "Sif, why can't one of your people use that hammer?"

"One used to, before he was banished," Sif answered. She walked over to the hammer and traced one finger along the handle. "Odin enchanted Mjolnir so that only the worthy can wield it, to teach Thor a lesson."

"Who's Thor?" Korra asked.

"Odin's son," Sif asked.

"Hang on a sec," Korra said, her hand rising to her chin. She remembered someone claiming to be the Son of Odin, but had thought the man was crazy at the time. "Did he have yellow hair by any chance?"

Sif nodded. "As bright as the sun itself," she described.

Korra sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling guilty about taking the weapon that had belonged to someone else. "I didn't know," she muttered. "I didn't mean to replace him."

"That doesn't matter now," Sif said. "What's done is done, we cannot change that."

Looking out the window at the night sky, Korra wondered where Earth was in the cosmos. "Sif, when this is over, will you come to Earth with me?"

"What?" Sif blurted out, not expecting that request.

"Help me find Thor," Korra asked. "We can give the hammer back to him."

"If he is worthy of it," Sif added.

"We won't find out if we don't find him," Korra reasoned.

Sif looked back at the hammer, missing the sight of it in Thor's grip. "Very well, we'll depart for Midgard once the Odinsleep is past.

With that matter settled, Sif left the room and closed the door behind her. With just Naga for company, Korra figured that she should get some sleep. She knew that battle would resume in the morning, and that she would need as much rest as possible. Korra climbed into the large and comfortable bed and closed her eyes, finding it easy to fall asleep.

But while Korra slept she had visions of another life, seeing a close friend of Avatar Aang wield a weapon forged from metal that had fallen from the heavens.

* * *

On Midgard it was still early evening as Loki led Thor through a rocky wasteland, as desolate as any place in Niffleheim. Hundreds of large stone columns were scattered about the landscape, some of which had been broken apart in a battle decades past. Much of the land was scorched and barren, evidence of a great fire long ago. Life had only just begun to reclaim the ground it had lost in flame, intentionally left alone by man to let nature heal itself over the decades.

"Why are we here?" Thor asked, following a few steps behind Loki.

Walking around one of the many stone columns, Loki knew they were getting close to their destination. "Until Mjolnir is yours again, you will require a substitute power. And it is not far from where we walk."

"On Midgard?" Thor questioned, finding the idea ridiculous.

Rather than waste his breath with a response, Loki quickened his pace to reach the destination sooner. They passed several broken stone columns and more scorched landscape, before entering a mechanical graveyard. Large fragments of old airborne vessels littered the scorched ground, crashed here long ago and left to rust in peace. Near the rust-red crash sites was a river, with a stone hill next to it.

"There it is," Loki said, pointing to the stone hill.

Half embedded in stone, with its handle exposed and angled upward, was a sword. The blade was four centimeters wide and had a foot of its length exposed to the elements, while the handle was brown with a golden hilt. It would have been like any other jian sword, but had one key difference. The sword had a black blade.

Walking by his brother's side Thor approached the black sword. "Is that… uru?"

"Indeed," Loki answered, stopping next to the stone hill holding the sword. "Mortals found a sample of uru-ore that crashed on this world. From that ore this weapon was forged, crude by our standards but powerful nevertheless."

Thor took the last few steps to reach the stone hill, his right hand reaching for the sword. Fingers wrapped around the handle, testing the weapon's grip. And then Thor let go. "This weapon is useless," Thor declared, turning towards Loki. "It has no enchantment to give it power."

Expecting that reaction, Loki grinned. "That's why I've contacted a friend."

Loki raised his left hand and turned it away from Thor, his palm pointed towards empty space. Green mystical power coalesced around Loki's hand while he concentrated, before releasing the energy in a single burst. A dozen feet away the energy impacted the barrier between the realms, ripping open a portal in thin air. A swirling green vortex connected Midgard to Asgard, allowing an Asgardian woman to step through before the portal closed behind her.

The woman from the portal was tall and skinny, with light blond hair that reached her back. She wore green sleeveless clothes with a short skirt over black pants, while her face was framed in a green headband. Ignoring the landscape around her, she walked straight towards Thor. And Thor gazed at her, recognizing her from Asgard.

"Amora?" Thor muttered.

"Yes," she answered. "I have not abandoned you like Sif has."

Loki took a few steps be next to Amora, and then faced his brother. "I see that you remember the Enchantress."

"None could forget Amora," Thor complimented. He closed the distance to Amora and kissed her hand. "You are a sight for sore eyes."

"I've missed you too," Amora said. "And together we can restore your power."

"How?" Thor asked. "It is bound to Mjolnir."

"That's where the sword comes in," Loki said.

Amora nodded to Loki, and then put her attention back on Thor. "Your power may be gone, but its mark on you remains. From that, a skilled sorceress like myself can craft an enchantment similar to it into any uru-weapon."

"Such as this sword," Thor interrupted, realizing what Loki and Amora had in mind. "Aye, this can work."

"Then let us begin," Amora requested. She walked over the black sword with Thor next to her.

"What do you need me to do?" Thor asked, eager to see his power restored.

"Be still and relax," Amora answered.

Amora placed her left hand on the hilt of the sword, and her right hand on Thor's chest. Closing her eyes and muttering a silent chant, Amora focused on her spell. Mystical energy coalesced around her arms and chest, forming a conduit between Thor and the black sword. Thor winced in pain as the spell reached into his body, extracting traces of mystical energy left behind after Odin took away his power. Blue light flowed out of Thor and along Amora's right arm, turning green as it reached Amora's shoulders. The green light continued along Amora's left arm, turning violet as it reached the sword.

The spell took several minutes to complete, and when it was finished Amora nearly collapsed in exhaustion. Thor caught Amora in his arms, though he felt drained as well. Both knew they would recover quickly, and each got back on their own feet. For a moment they gazed into each other's eyes, and Amora hoped that Thor would finally realize she was better for him than Sif.

Instead Thor turned his gaze to the black sword, which appeared to be unchanged. He reached for the sword and gripped its handle with his right hand, sensing the power that was infused into the weapon. "Promising," Thor muttered.

"Do it brother," Loki encouraged, both fists raised in anticipation. "Free the sword from the stone."

With all the strength in one arm Thor pulled on the sword, yet it wasn't enough to free the weapon. He grabbed the sword with both hands and pulled with all his might, but the sword still didn't budge. Thor planted one foot against the stone that the sword was embedded into, pushing against the stone with his leg while pulling with his arms. Even then the sword resisted, refusing to let just anyone take it.

"Give me it," Thor muttered, demanding it from the stone while using all of the force at his disposal.

Suddenly the black blade started to glow with violet light, radiating mystical power that crept up Thor's arms. Dark storm clouds grew overhead as the new power flowed through Thor, blocking out the sun and leaving Thor bathed in dark violet. Power spread from the blade's edge through the stone in a narrow line, and in an instant the entire stone hill split in two. With the freed sword in hand Thor raised it above his head, feeling new power filling the void left when Mjolnir had been taken from him.

And ominous thunder boomed across all of Midgard.

* * *

When early morning reached Asgard the Ice Giant invasion began anew, on the last day of the Odinsleep. Once again the defenders of the realm fought against the horde, their goal to hold back the enemy long enough for Odin to awaken. The enemy gradually pushed towards the walls of Asgard, invigorated by the discovery of the Thunderer's power passing to a new wielder.

Charging into battle Korra rode on Naga, firing lightning wherever the enemy was grouped together. An Ice Giant was in her way, swinging at massive club that struck down several Asgardian soldiers at a time. Korra leapt off Naga and swung her hammer at the giant, while it swung its club at her. Mjolnir shattered the club and Korra swung again in mid-leap, hitting the giant's head and knocking it over. As the giant fell onto its back Naga ran on top of it, sinking her canine jaws into the giant's neck and tearing out its throat.

After using some lightning to clear out enemy soldiers around her, Korra looked around the battlefield. She saw Sif in the distance riding one of the winged horses, assaulting an enemy siege tower with the Valkyries. On the other side of Korra the Warriors Three were busy clearing out a legion of trolls, pinned in one place while they fought. Asgardian soldiers nearby were regrouping behind Korra, leaving her to deal with dozens of goblins charging over a wide hill in front of her.

Thrusting the hammer towards the enemy Korra fired lightning at the goblins, frying the ones in the center and scattering the rest. She whistled and Naga ran to her call, allowing Korra to get back on the polar bear-dog. Korra rode past the remaining goblins towards the enemy horde just past the hill between the armies, wanting to ambush the next advance and break enemy lines.

Once she cleared the hill Korra saw a force of trolls and giants already in disarray, responding to a threat that had appeared behind them. In the distance Korra saw a swirling green vortex, from which Loki emerged. Loki wore green armor with a long yellow cape, along with a helmet that had long curved horns.

With the portal still open behind him, Loki observed the trolls and giants closing in. He conjured a staff and focused his magic through it, firing bolts of green energy from the end of the weapon. Each bolt vaporized its target, and Loki obliterated the enemy forces around him. When the nearby area was cleared out Loki spotted Korra, and he stepped aside from the portal.

From the other side Thor stepped through the portal, while Amora remained behind in Midgard. Thor wore new plate mail armor with an orange cape, while his new weapon was sheathed and hung at his hip. His blond hair was trimmed short and covered by a winged helmet, which left all of his face exposed. One glance around the battlefield revealed Korra's presence, along with Mjolnir in her hand.

Loki grinned as he saw Korra without any of Thor's former comrades nearby, making it all too easy to manipulate his brother. "There she is," Loki said. "Take back what belongs to you." With his work finished for now Loki walked back through the portal and it closed behind him, returning to Amora waiting with an enchanted viewing orb to watch from afar.

Having a bad feeling in her gut, Korra climbed off Naga walked down the hill towards Thor. "Go get Sif," Korra ordered, and Naga ran off to obey the command.

"Have at thee, _Usurper!_" Thor declared. He drew his sword with his right hand, and the black blade started to glow violet.

At the same time the hammer head of Mjolnir started to glow blue. "Okay that's new," Korra muttered.

Thor raised his sword upward, summoning violet lightning from the sky into the weapon. A swift swing of the sword created an arc of violet electricity, cutting through the air towards Korra. She leaped over the attack and let it hit the hill behind her, obliterating it entirely. Korra summoned lightning into her hammer and thrust the weapon towards Thor, firing a bolt of electricity at him. Thor swung his blade down into the attack, splitting the lightning in two with both halves arcing around him to hit a pack of goblins behind. He attacked with another arc of violet lightning, and Korra swung her hammer down on it and dissipated the portion of lightning in her path.

Charging at each other Korra and Thor fired more lightning attacks, normal blue and darker violet hurling across the battlefield. Deflected electricity fried nearby onlookers, unnoticed by either combatant. Korra dodged one arc of lightning by jumping onto a large boulder and then leaping off it, getting above Thor and swinging her hammer down as he swung his sword.

When the hammer met the sword their energies clashed, spewing mystical power into a blue and violet haze that enveloped Korra and Thor. The haze dissipated when the weapons pulled apart, only to reform when they struck again. Thor swung the sword again and was blocked by the top of Korra's hammer, holding him at bay while the energies swirled around them. Korra pulled her weapon away and swung it down, blocked by the side of Thor's sword and holding the hammer back.

"This is not your place!" Thor yelled, letting the mystical haze from the weapons swirl around them. The sky darkened in storm clouds, leaving Thor's face illuminated by his sword's violet light. "You're no god! You don't deserve to wield the power of Mjolnir!"

"Here I'm just a soldier," Korra corrected, her face blue in the light from Mjolnir. "Anything else is just a part of your own delusion."

With a hard push on her hammer Korra shoved Thor back, forcing him to take a few steps away. Thor swung his sword upward and unleashed a thicker arc of violet lightning, slicing vertically through the air. Korra rolled out of the way and the arc moved past, gouging the ground as it continued on. Behind Korra the lightning arc hit the walls of Asgard, demolishing a narrow section of wall.

Seeing the destruction, Korra realized that she must keep the battle at close range to avoid collateral damage. She charged in and swung the hammer again and again, hitting the side of Thor's sword each time. Then Thor twisted around a hammer strike and swung his sword at Korra's chest, and she pulled away to avoid the hit. But the tip of Thor's sword grazed Korra's right shoulder, cutting through her armor and tasting her blood.

Despite the pain in her bleeding shoulder Korra kept fighting, swinging the hammer harder trying to shatter the sword. Thor blocked and twisted both weapons down, then swung his fist up into Korra's head. The blow tossed Korra back and knocked off her helmet, which tumbled away out of her reach. The force also spun her around in midair, making Korra hit the ground on her chest. She got back up and readied herself to strike back, just as Thor raised his sword for a killing blow.

As Korra readied the hammer blue lightning rained down onto it, charging the weapon. At the same time violet lighting rained down onto Thor's sword, charging it as well. Korra swung her hammer with all the strength she possessed, while Thor swung his sword with all of his might. In that moment time seemed to slow down, as the weapons clashed for the final time.

Mjonlir _shattered_.

Thor's sword cleaved through the hammer head of Mjolnir, splitting it in two with shards breaking off the halves. Lightning arced between the broken halves as they came apart, building up into blinding blue light. In an instant the energy was released in an electrical explosion, blasting Thor and Korra apart. A large crater formed in the blast, with Thor and Korra on opposite sides.

On her back on her side of the crater Korra stared at the broken hammer still in her hand, which felt much heavier now than when it was whole. The blue glow it had was gone, Mjolnir's enchantments dispelled. And without its mystical power Korra's armor faded away, leaving her in her normal Water Tribe clothes. "No…" Korra muttered, for the first time completely powerless.

The other half of Mjolnir was on Thor's side of the crater, and he stared at it in shock. His sword lost its violet glow, no longer reacting to the presence of Mjolnir's power. Thor reached down and grabbed the piece of Mjolnir, able to lift it now that Odin's enchantment was dispelled. "What have I…" he muttered, before turning his gaze back on Korra. "What have _you_ done?!"

With a long leap Thor jumped over the crater, closing the distance to reach Korra. Before landing Thor swung his black sword down, unleashing another arc of violet lightning. Korra rolled out of the way and let the lightning strike the ground, and Thor landed in the gouged earth his attack created. Reacting on instinct alone Korra threw a punch towards Thor, even though she could no longer firebend. Instead the air compressed around her arm and pushed away from her fist, hitting Thor and blowing him away.

Staring at her fist, Korra didn't believe her eyes. "I can airbend…" she muttered. It didn't make sense, as she had never been able to airbend before. But then the answer just clicked, that when Amon took away the other elements he unlocked the one Korra never had. Korra stood tall and faced Thor. "I can airbend!"

Dropping the broken hammer, Korra punched with both fists to airbend rapid gusts of wind. Unimpressed with the power over air, Thor swung his sword to make another lightning arc that overwhelmed the wind. Korra leaped over the attack and airbended win into the ground in front of Thor, blowing into loose dirt to make a cloud of dust billow upward and obscure Thor's sight.

When Korra landed she only had a moment to use the distraction, and she whistled. Immediately hearing Naga's howls, Korra saw the polar bear-dog come to her call. Riding on Naga was Lady Sif, and behind them were the Valkyries. Coming from the other direction were the Warriors Three, having finished their battles and coming to Korra's aid. Korra grabbed the broken hammer and ran towards Naga, needing allies to hold off Thor.

As the dust cloud settled Thor saw Korra retreating, and found his old comrades rushing to her aid. At first Thor hesitated, unwilling to fight his friends. Thor's anger against Korra conflicted with his kinship towards Sif and the Warriors Three, staying his hand for the moment. He held the severed half of Mjolnir in his hand and stared at it, feeling just as divided as the weapon.

Still watching through Amora's viewing orb, Loki knew he had to act now. He conjured another portal to Asgard and hurried through it, emerging from a green vortex opening behind Thor. "We must leave!" Loki insisted, placing one hand on Thor's shoulder.

Thor didn't move.

"Do you really think they'll take you back?" Loki asked, getting in front of Thor. "After everything that's happened?"

"I don't know," Thor answered.

"You will take back your rightful place, I promise you," Loki said. "But this is not the time, not when Odin is about to awaken."

Thor glanced towards the walls of Asgard and the golden citadel behind it, where his father still slept. Soon Odin would awaken and seal the breach between realms that the Ice Giants used to invade Asgard, and obliterate what remained of the invading forces. And if the Champion of Midgard were considered an ally of Asgard, Thor would be considered an enemy for fighting her.

"Very well," Thor muttered, sheathing his sword. He turned away from the Asgardians and ran through the portal, with Loki following and closing the portal behind him.

* * *

In just a few hours peace returned to Asgard, courtesy of a restored Odin. Invaders in the realm were expelled and the rift between worlds was sealed. But peace came at a cost, as many of Asgard's defenders had perished. The power of the Thunderer was no more, which would only embolden Asgard's enemies in the next Odinsleep.

Sitting on the bed in the quarters provided for her, Korra wondered what would happen to her now. The wound in her shoulder had been mended by Asgard's healers, and not even a scar remained. But Mjolnir remained broken, as not even the dwarven smiths of Nidavellir could repair it without the missing half. Korra suspected some dire punishment was in store for her, having been trusted with the weapon and failing to keep it intact. She could only stare at the broken hammer on the table, contemplating her fate.

A knock at the door interrupted Korra's thoughts. "Come in."

The door opened and Hogun entered, his stoic face hiding any emotional reaction to the sight of a broken Mjolnir. "It's time."

With a sigh Korra stood up and grabbed the broken hammer, then followed Hogun out of the room. Hogun lead Korra through the citadel's halls, towards the throne room belonging to Odin himself. Along the way everyone Korra passed silenced themselves, none daring to say a word until their king passed judgment. The silence was deafening until they reached the throne room and Hogun opened its grand doors.

Inside Korra saw Odin in the flesh, sitting on his golden throne. The King of Asgard wore golden armor over his muscular body, while holding a gold mace in his right hand. His white hair reached his shoulders, and he had a large white beard. Covering his right eye was a golden patch, and his left eye observed Korra walking towards him.

Slowly Korra waked until she was in front of Odin, seeing Lady Sif on Odin's right and Hogun joining Fandral and Volstagg on Odin's left. Korra bowed to Odin before gently placing Mjolnir on the floor. "I never meant for this to happen," Korra said.

"Nor did I," Odin said, staring at the broken hammer. He remembered when he took it away from Thor, banishing him to Midgard and throwing Mjolnir through the Bifrost to the human world. It was clear that the actions meant to teach Thor humility had the opposite effect, driving Thor into the manipulative hands of Loki.

"I'm sorry," Korra apologized. "I wasn't worthy after all."

"You wielded Mjolnir as your own, defended your realm with its power, aided Asgard in its time of need, and held at bay a force greater than your own," Odin listed. He stood up from his throne and looked down on Korra. "And you claim to be unworthy of Mjolnir?"

"It broke!" Korra yelled. "I had its power and I broke it! How could I possibly be worthy?!"

For a moment Odin didn't answer, surprised that anyone would yell to his face. But that moment quickly passed. "A lesser being would have fled rather than face reality. You remained and admitted your faults, a form of humility."

"I don't feel humble," Korra said.

"That is irrelevant," Odin claimed. "You have acted with honor, despite the circumstances. You've earned a place here, if you wish."

Though tempted, Korra looked away. "I just want to go home."

"So be it," Odin declared. "The Bifrost is open to you, and you may depart for Midgard at your leisure."

"Thank you," Korra said, giving another bow to Odin. She turned and started walking out of the throne room, leaving behind the broken hammer.

Once Korra had exited the throne room and the doors closed behind her, Odin walked to where Mjolnir laid broken. He picked up Mjolnir and examined it, then turned to Sif. "Contact Eitri in Nidavellir. Commission a new war hammer, one to match Mjolnir. We may need a _Stormbreaker_."

Outside the throne room Korra walked through the citadel's halls, heading in a straight line until she found the exit. Once she was outside the citadel and below Asgard's alien sky, Korra whistled to summon Naga to her. Korra only needed to wait half a minute for Naga to arrive, as the polar bear-dog no longer carried the war armor to slow her down. Korra leaped onto Naga's back and directed her towards the Asgardian sea, where the Bifrost was located.

As she rode through the city Korra saw the Asgardian people give their farewells, as word of her departure traveled faster than Naga. Some in the streets either looked away or ignored Korra entirely, upset over the breaking of Mjolnir. Others gave praise as she passed by, as Korra had helped defend their home. Children cheered for the Champion of Midgard, the only mortal known to wield a weapon of gods.

When Korra reached the Asgardian coastline she saw the Rainbow Bridge jutting into the sea, a wide road of light with every color imaginable. Naga carried Korra across the bridge towards the Bifrost at the opposite end, a massive spherical structure with a pyramidal tip currently pointing straight up towards the sky. It was Asgard's main connection to the nine realms, and the road home for Korra.

Standing in front of the Bifrost was Heimdall, the All-Seeing Sentry. Dark skinned with black hair and clad in golden armor, he held a golden sword and watched over the Bifrost. Able to see through the veil between realms, Heimdall could gaze upon the worlds the Bifrost could reach. And when Heimdall saw Korra approach he turned his gaze to Midgard.

"Hold," Heimdall ordered, holding up one hand.

Naga stopped in front of Heimdall and Korra climbed off. "What is it?" Korra asked, walking up to the sentry.

"Darkness brews in Midgard," Heimdall warned. "Your realm needs its Champion again."

"Then let me pass," Korra insisted.

Heimdall stepped aside, and Korra walked past with Naga. But the sentry wasn't finished. "The man out of time faces ones that envy your ally."

"Okay?" Korra muttered, wondering who he was referring to.


	12. Variety

Chapter 12: Variety

On a remote highway in the northern United Republic of Nations a lone man rode a motorcycle, going wherever the wind would take him. Wearing a leather jacket that covered a colorful uniform, along with a circular shield strapped to his back, Shran Raiden explored a world similar yet different to the one he grew up in. The cities and roads of modern day were decades ahead of him, but the rural towns and villages had hardly changed in forty two years.

Currently enjoying a casual drive down the highway, Shran watched the forests pass by on his right and the steep side of a mountain on his left. It hadn't taken long for him to get the hang of driving a motorcycle, much simpler than trying to ride an ostrich-horse back in his day. For a while Shran considered painting the motorcycle in the colors of Republic City, to match his uniform as Captain Republic. He decided not to follow through on that idea, as it would give him away wherever he went.

While Shran drove he noticed a black satomobile approaching from behind, moving only slightly faster than his motorcycle. The vehicle got up close to Shran, driving only a few feet behind him. The driver inside the satomobile honked the car's horn, trying to get Shran's attention. Shran waved his arm in a gesture to pass him. "Go around you jerk," Shran insisted, even though he knew the other driver couldn't hear him.

The passenger side window of the satomobile rolled down and a person stuck his head and right arm outside. That person threw a fireblast at Shran, aimed at the shield on his back and struck without any damage. The warning shot prompted Shran to swerve across the oncoming lane and onto the shoulder of the road, spinning around and coming to a stop just short of hitting the mountainside. The satomobile sped past before braking and turning around, then drove back towards Shran.

Shran revved his motorcycle's engine before getting back up to speed, driving across the highway and going off-road. The satomobile followed him off the highway into the forest, driving in between the trees and running over bushes in the way. Shran swerved around one tree after another, trying to lose the pursuing vehicle. But the trees were too loosely dispersed to block the satomobile, and it kept the pace in the rough terrain.

Still hearing the satomobile behind him, Shran glanced back to see how far away it was. He pulled his shield off his back and threw it up and forward, hitting a thick tree branch ahead of him. The edge of the shield cut through half of the tree branch before bouncing off, hitting the ground before Shran caught up with the shield and grabbed it. The weight of the tree branch made it snap where the shield had damaged it, falling towards the ground just as the satomobile was driving under it. The thick branch hit the front of the satomobile and crushed it, making the vehicle swerve and crash into a tree.

Right after Shran retrieved his shield he saw the forest end abruptly, right before a cliff. Braking hard and swerving to the left Shran's motorcycle skidded across dirt, coming to a stop just a few inches from the edge of the cliff. Small chunks of dirt and rock broke off the edge and fell down the cliff, while Shran sighed in relief that he hadn't fallen off. But when he looked down he saw something he wasn't expecting.

A small airship rose from the bottom of the cliff, quickly ascending to Shran's elevation and floating just a few feet from the edge. It bore the colors of the United Forces, but with an insignia stamped on the top and bottom resembling a phoenix inside a white lotus. The bottom of the airship opened and a ramp extended, allowing a middle aged man to exit and jump over to the cliff. He had light skin, brown hair that had turned gray behind his ears, wore a black version of a United Forces uniform, and had a black patch over his left eye.

"Hold it right there Captain," the stranger ordered. "Or are you going by Shran now?"

"And you are?" Shran asked, finding only the eye patch familiar.

"I am Director Fury," he introduced himself. Then he gestured to the small airship, particularly the phoenix insignia. "But of greater consequence to you, we are _SHIELD_."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Shran asked.

"It does now," Fury answered. He paused for a few seconds, memorizing the face in front of him. "I've always wanted to meet Captain Republic. My step-father spoke highly of you."

"So he did," Shran said. "But what is SHIELD?"

"A top secret branch of the United Forces, which deals in supernatural, homeland, intelligence, elemental, legalities, and defense. Twenty years ago Avatar Aang knew his death was coming, so he created SHIELD to safeguard this nation."

"Where were you guys during Amon's revolution?" Shran interrupted.

"About to make our move when your little team beat us to the punch," Fury answered. "You and those other 'Avengers' should consider joining SHIELD."

"Maybe I would, if you had just asked nicely instead of running me off the road," Shran said.

"That was to get your attention," Fury explained. He reached into a pocket and pulled out an envelope. "There's been an incident that's… _personal_ to you."

Shran laughed for a second. "What could be so important that you'd have to get me involved?"

"Rebirth's been stolen."

That news dredged up memories of another time, seeing the machine that had transformed Shran from the weak little boy to the man that became Captain Republic. "Impossible!" Shran yelled. "Rebirth was destroyed! I was _there!_"

"There was a backup," Fury explained. "But without the serum that controlled Rebirth's effects, it was too dangerous to use. So it was mothballed under highest security."

"And it still got stolen," Shran said. "Who did it?"

"Chang Lam, a former United Forces Colonel," Fury answered. He handed the envelope to Shran, which contained the personnel file of the suspect. "After he was discharged from service Chang went rogue. Clearly he exploited Amon's revolution to steal Rebirth without getting caught."

"So you want me to get it back," Shran guessed, glancing over the file on Chang.

"If that is feasible," Fury said. "But if you can't retrieve it, destroy it. If that machine is used we're more likely to have another Hulk on our hands."

"And where am I supposed to find Chang?" Shran asked.

"One of my new recruits is working on that now," Fury answered. He turned back towards the airship still hovering by the cliff, about to jump to get back onboard. "I believe you've already met."

* * *

Tahno was crouching in some bushes on a hill overlooking a large facility outside Po Lao, observing the area in the light of the setting sun. The facility had been built into the side of a mountain, concealing the full size of it. All Tahno could see was a warehouse and some storage buildings, the rest hidden behind rock. In front of the facility was a chain link fence, recently broken by a large vehicle driving through it.

"Where's that backup?" Tahno muttered, getting impatient on his first mission for SHIELD.

Having needed a new career after Amon's failed revolution, Tahno had turned to the military for a job. General Iroh had vouched for him, which had been enough to catch Fury's eye and be recruited for SHIELD. For his first mission Tahno had been assigned to track down the stolen Rebirth, and then retrieve it when backup arrived. Tahno had tracked Chang Lam to this facility, one of the few places outside of a city that could generate the massive amount of electricity needed to power Rebirth.

When Tahno heard the sound of a motorcycle engine he sighed. "Finally," he muttered, getting up and turning towards the sound. But then he recognized the driver as he parked. "I should have figured they'd send you here."

Shran parked his motorcycle at the base of the hill, and then walked the rest of the way up to Tahno. "What's the situation?"

"The guy we're after holed himself up in an old military base," Tahno answered, letting Shran see the facility for himself. "I think this place was abandoned after the Yakone Rebellion."

"Why here?" Shran questioned, observing the facility.

"It's big enough to hold several power generators that were shipped here, and can take a beating if the United Forces show up," Tahno explained. He took another look, seeing a pair of guards at the front door. "This place seems undermanned."

"There's got to be more inside," Cap suggested. He looked at Tahno, observing the bow and arrows he carried. "Do you have the bomb?"

"Right here," Tahno said, tapping a finger on a small black box attached to his hip. The bomb had a small magnet to attach itself to any metal, a small knob to arm the explosive, and a small pin to light the internal fuse. "So when are we going in?"

"Now," Shran answered, tossing aside his leather jacket that had partially covered his uniform. As Captain Republic, he ran down the hill towards the facility. With his shield in hand, Cap moved to take down the guards first.

"Works for me," Tahno muttered, grabbing his bow and drawing an arrow.

When Cap had crossed half the distance he threw his shield, knocking out one of the guards and surprising the other. Before the second guard could react Tahno shot an arrow at him, which stuck to the guard's arm. The arrow carried an electric charge similar to an Equalist glove, enough to shock the guard into unconsciousness. With the guards down Cap and Tahno approached the front door, retrieving the shield and arrow.

Cap kicked down the front door, but was surprised to find no one on the other side. An inch of dust coated the inside, undisturbed except for the floor. There were tracks left in the dust on the floor, left by a few people dragging equipment inside. He followed the tracks through the facility, with Tahno keeping pace behind him and keeping a keen eye out for more guards.

After a few turns and some stairs leading down Cap was getting suspicious over the lack of guards. "This reeks of a trap," he muttered.

"I don't suppose we can hope that Chang can't afford mercenaries?" Tahno asked. He followed Cap into another corridor, before hearing voices up ahead and past another corner. "Finally some guards."

"Quiet," Cap whispered. He stopped at the corner and eavesdropped on the two guards.

The first guard was in his thirties, and he seemed to be bored with his assignment. "What's taking them so long in there?"

"Chang stole an antique machine from four decades ago," the other guard answered, who was in his twenties. "Even Dao Ling needs time to get it working again."

"I don't like working for that little punk."

"Why? Cause he's smarter than you?"

"Cause he also hired Kai Wen. That guy nearly took my head off with that wrecking ball of his back in the Triad."

The conversation was interrupted by a bright light shining through the cracks around the door. "About time," the second guard muttered.

Done eavesdropping Cap threw his shield around the corner, bouncing back and forth between the walls towards the guards. At the same time Tahno rolled into the hallway and shot an arrow, which had a small explosive attached. Precise timing let the arrow hit the shield when it was right in front of the guards, detonating the explosive and directing the blast at the guards. Both were caught in the blast and shoved into the door, knocking them out instantly.

Tahno hurried to the door while Cap retrieved his shield, which had been flung to the other end of the hallway in the blast. Once he had it back Cap hurried to the door, grabbing the knob while Tahno drew another arrow. Cap threw the door open and entered with Tahno behind him, ready to face whatever was inside.

At the back end of the large room was Rebirth, exactly as Cap remembered. The large metal cylinder was surrounded with other mechanical equipment, including power generators and control consoles. But without lightning benders or access to a city's power grid, the generators needed more time to build up sufficient electricity. The cylinder was starting to glow with energy, which told Cap that someone was already inside and trying to use Rebirth.

Two people were standing between the door and Rebirth, one of which Cap knew from the personnel file Fury gave him. Chang Lam was a large muscular Water Tribe man, wearing the traditional blue clothes of the southern tribe. His brown hair was trimmed short and neat, a holdover from his military days. On his fists was a pair of brass knuckles, as he preferred to fight up close pummel his foes into submission.

The other guy, Kai Wen, was slightly smaller and from the Fire Nation. He kept his head shaved, as he liked the bald style of the Air Nomads. He wore brown pants and a thin white shirt that left his arms bare. Attached to his right arm with a chain was a wrecking ball, an unconventional weapon that few fighters knew how to counter.

Both of them were ready for a fight when they heard Tahno's arrow explode earlier, but had been expecting an army to barge in. They were surprised to see Captain Republic instead, and weren't sure if that was worse for them. Chang cracked his knuckles while Kai Wen raised his wrecking ball, hoping that they could end a fight before Rebirth was finished and they could see the results immediately.

Kai Wen glanced at Chang, thinking that a wager was in order. "Whoever kills the captain gets in the machine next."

"Deal," Chang said, and charged at Cap with his fists raised.

Cap raised his shield in time to block Chang's right fist, brass knuckles vibrating in the impact and making Chang's fist numb. Chang threw a left hook that missed Cap as he ducked, and Cap punched Chang's gut then followed with a sweeping kick that tripped Chang. Before Chang's back could hit the ground Cap bashed his shield into Chang's head, the blow spinning him around and whirling Chang's face into Cap's swinging foot. The kick spun Chang the other way, and he nearly blacked out in pain.

Before Cap could make sure Chang stayed down he saw Kai Wen charging in and throwing his wrecking ball, forcing Cap to block with his shield. The wrecking ball bounced off, though the force was enough to make the shield vibrate for a second. Kai Wen gripped harder on the chain attached to his weapon, spinning it faster to get more force for his next strike. Cap dodged the next downward strike, allowing the wrecking ball to make a dent in the metal floor. Then Cap planted his foot on the wrecking ball and grabbed the chain in his free hand, yanking on it to pull Kai Wen and slam his face into the shield.

Meanwhile Tahno quietly slipped around the fight, counting on being a relative nobody in comparison to the famous Captain Republic. He kept an arrow notched on his bow, considering taking a shot when Chang recovered and assisted Kai Wen. But Cap had the fight under control, as Tahno saw Cap duck under a swung wrecking ball that ended up hitting Chang by mistake. Refocusing his attention on the mission at hand, Tahno sprinted towards Rebirth.

Tahno had to put away his arrow as he approached Rebirth, needing a free arm to shield his eyes from the glowing metal cylinder. The light was getting brighter every second, building up power that flooded the person inside. Tahno put his bow away and grabbed the bomb on his hip, then stuck it to the side of the cylinder with its magnet. He pushed in and turned the small knob on the bomb several times, arming it with a thirty second fuse. With his fingers on the pin, Tahno got his legs ready to run.

But then Tahno hesitated, thinking about the consequences of pulling that little pin. His orders were to destroy Rebirth if it was in use, just in case it was creating a monster. But the person inside the cylinder was still a man, and Tahno couldn't bring himself to kill a defenseless man in cold blood. Instead he let go of the pin and drew an arrow, then jammed the tip it into the seam where the halves of the cylinder met.

"You're coming out of there," Tahno said, trying to use the arrow to pry open Rebirth.

"Don't…"

Tahno stopped when he heard the gravelly voice coming from inside Rebirth, which sounded weak and in pain. "This machine is lethal without the super soldier serum."

There was a pause before the person inside spoke again. "I've recreated it."

At first Tahno thought that claim was a lie, until he noticed a nearby table. On it were dozens of small vials, most of them empty and discarded. But a few vials were still filled, containing a light green liquid. "That doesn't look right," Tahno muttered.

Still holding off two foes at once, Cap kicked Chang in the chest and knocked him over. Cap took a glance towards Rebirth, seeing Tahno just standing near the armed bomb. "What are you waiting for?!" Cap yelled, while using the edge of his shield to sever the chain on Kai Wen's wrecking ball. "Pull the Pin!"

Tahno couldn't do it, not like this. He backed away from Rebirth, which glowed bright enough to blind. Tahno shielded his eyes from the light with his arms, while the machine reached maximum power. Light from inside the cylinder shone with a slight green tint, barely noticeable within Rebirth's brighter light. After a full minute of brightest light Rebirth finished, instantly dimming to a much duller shine with residual energy.

The abrupt change in lighting gave Cap an opening to finish the fight, before either opponent's eyes could adjust. His free hand had already grabbed the severed chain to Kai Wen's wrecking ball when the light went dim, and Cap swung the ball to hit Kai Wen with his own weapon. As Kai Wen fell unconscious Cap swung the wrecking ball again, hitting Chang and knocking him out as well.

With its function complete, Rebirth's metal cylinder opened. It split down the middle and revealed the person inside, who _was_ a short Earth Kingdom man with short brown hair and a small mustache. Now his skin was turning green, while his hair became a darker shade of that color. His head swelled to nearly three times a normal size, most of the mass growing from his cranium. The transformation left him unconscious and falling to his knees, completely vulnerable for the moment.

Cap ran up to Rebirth, which was still charged with residual power from its use. He put his shield away on his back before grabbing the green skinned man and carrying him over his shoulder. "Time to bail!" Cap ordered, right before pulling the pin on the bomb still attached to Rebirth.

Already running, Tahno headed for the door he had entered through. Mentally counting down from the second Cap had pulled the pin, Tahno figured he had enough time to get into the corridor and safety. But there wasn't time to drag Chang Lam or Kai Wen away, and they were left behind. Tahno leapt through the open door and rolled to the side, putting a wall between him and the coming boom. He saw Cap run through the door and get to cover, dropping the green man on the floor right before the bomb went off.

The bomb exploded, completely destroying the metal cylinder it was attached to and severely damaging the equipment and generators around it. Residual power in Rebirth destabilized, setting off a second explosion that released a wave of energy. It spread across the entire room, washing over the two people inside and stopping when it hit the wall. The entire facility shook in the blast, lasting several seconds before stilling.

The green skinned man, Dao Ling, regained consciousness when the explosions shook the floor. He stood up and ran back inside the room as the dust settled, and saw Rebirth in ruin. Dao Ling turned back towards the door, seeing Captain Republic and Tahno stepping back inside. "Captain! _I Needed That!_"

Cap simply crossed his arms and glared at Dao Ling. "Why? It clearly didn't work right."

Only then did Dao Ling notice his altered appearance, which was not that of the super soldier he had been trying to recreate. His replacement for the super soldier serum had been incomplete, he realized that now. But already new formulas for the serum appeared in his mind, which corrected the defect and so much more. The calculations and chemistry for the previous version seemed like basic algebra now, child's play for an increased intellect.

But no variety of the serum mattered anymore, when Rebirth was gone and no schematics had survived to the present day. Without that Dao Ling could not create an army and be its Leader. "All that effort, wasted!"

Loud groans interrupted, coming from Chang Lam. Energy from the second explosion had saturated his body, trigging a change in his form. His entire body doubled in size, and his muscles thickened on top of it. Scales grew over his skin, blue-green in color like a fish. Fins sprouted from the sides of his head, and his teeth sharpened to deadly points. Chang caught a glimpse of his reflection in a shard of glass, but the face that looked back was that of an Abomination.

Also groaning was Kai Wen, who was experiencing a different change. His skin changed to a lighter shade of brown, while his bald head shifted to a cone shape. His hand touched the metal floor, and his whole body became like the metal. Kai Wen saw the change and panicked, grabbing onto the severed chain to his wrecking ball. And then his body changed again, matching the metal of the chain. In that moment Kai Wen realized that he had absorbed the properties of what he had touched, and had become some kind of Absorbing Man.

"What's going on here?" Tahno asked, seeing but not believing the transformations. It seemed like something out of his worst nightmares.

"A marvel," Dao Ling answered, watching with fascination. He deduced that exposure to high amounts of energy forced mutations in the human body, having random effects without something like the super soldier serum to control the transformations. And he just might have that army after all. "Chang Lam, Kai Wen, it's time to beta test your new forms. Attack the Captain!"

"What about me?" Tahno asked.

Abomination ignored the question and charged at Cap, raising a scaly fist and throwing a punch. Cap raised his shield and blocked the punch, the impact making the shield rattle in Cap's grip. Cap retaliated by sweeping a leg into Abomination's legs, hitting the back of his knees and tripping him. While Abomination fell backward Absorbing Man charged in, throwing several punches with metal fists. The punches were blocked by Cap's shield, before Absorbing Man grabbed the edge of the weapon. Absorbing Man's body changed again, becoming red and blue with the properties of vibranium. And with those properties Absorbing Man punched Cap in the face, tossing him back and dropping his shield.

Cap quickly recovered from the blow, while rubbing his chin with one hand. "Man that smarts," he muttered, finding out what it felt like to be hit with the same metal as his shield. Cap saw Abomination stand up and take his time walking towards him, right behind to Absorbing Man.

An arrow shot from behind hit Abomination in the back, exploding on contact with enough force to make him stumble. Tahno shot another pair of explosive arrows that hit the backs of Abomination's knees, their explosions breaking his footing and nearly tipping him over. Before Abomination could recover Tahno charged in and leaped, getting high enough to swing a kick into Abomination's head. The kick finished the work the arrows had started, making Abomination topple over and on top of Absorbing Man. When Tahno landed on the floor his foot felt like he broke it, but he didn't let that stop him from kicking Cap's shield across the floor and back to its owner.

Pinned under Abomination, Absorbing Man felt like he was going to be crushed under the weight. A hand gripped onto Abomination's scaly skin, allowing Absorbing Man to take on a blue-green appearance and some of Abomination's strength. With that strength Absorbing Man pushed Abomination off him, then stood up in time to see Cap's shield get thrown into his face. That strike was followed by an arrow, which hit Absorbing Man's face and sprayed a glob of slime that covered his eyes. Blinded by the slime, Absorbing Man couldn't see Cap or Tahno heading for the door.

"Tactical retreat," Cap ordered.

"We're running?" Tahno questioned.

"We already completed the mission objective," Cap argued. "And Fury needs to know what happened."

"Which we can't tell him if we're dead," Tahno said, understanding the order. He saw Absorbing Man tear the slime off his face and charge beside Abomination, both heading straight for Cap. Tahno drew another arrow and shot it at the floor in front of them, and on impact the arrow ignited a flare that blinded both attackers.

After several seconds their sight recovered, and Abomination saw that Cap and Tahno had left the room. As he was now too large to fit through the door, Abomination grabbed the door's frame and used his strength to rip it out of the wall. "After them!" he yelled.

"No," Dao Ling ordered, holding his hands behind his back. "Let them go."

"Why?" Absorbing Man asked.

"Because I want the world to know what happened here," Dao Ling answered. "And what better messenger than Captain Republic?"

Absorbing Man wasn't convinced. "I don't think…"

"Leave the thinking to me," Dao Ling interrupted. "So says your Leader."

* * *

The next day Captain Republic and Tahno arrived at a United Forces military base outside Yu Dao, which Directory Fury was using under SHIELD authority. They took Cap's motorcycle to reach the base, driving through an airfield next to it. Several airships they saw were undergoing refits for use by Republic City's police force, to replace airships lost during Amon's revolution. Cap kept driving into the base's wide roads, stopping next to a large command center and parking his motorcycle there.

Personnel in the command center stepped aside as Cap entered and walked through the base, as they all knew who he was and that they should not keep him waiting. The command center was designed exactly like all the others in every United Forces base since the nation's creation, allowing Cap to easily find which office Director Fury would be using. With Tahno behind him Cap headed for the top general's office, as only the best would do for someone like Fury.

Once they were inside the office Cap and Tahno saw Fury standing behind a desk, looking over several reports. They spent the next half hour in a debriefing, informing Fury of what happened during the mission. Everything was covered as Cap described the mission, from Rebirth's destruction to the transformations that event had triggered in otherwise normal people.

"So let me get this straight," Fury said when they finished. "Even though you destroyed Rebirth, it still created monsters like the Hulk."

"_One_ like the Hulk," Tahno specified. "The other two got a bigger brain and absorbing powers, respectively."

"That's still not good news," Fury said. He paused before continuing, letting out a small sigh. "Still, Rebirth is gone and can't create any more monsters. Good work, given the circumstances."

"Thank you sir," Tahno said.

"Tahno, you're dismissed," Fury ordered.

"Yes sir," Tahno said. He saluted and left the office, leaving Cap alone with Fury.

"Is there anything else?" Cap asked.

"There is one matter, if you're interested," Fury offered. He opened a drawer in the desk and picked up a folder inside, then offered it to Cap. "An acquaintance of yours has gotten into a little trouble in the northern Earth Kingdom."

Cap took the folder and opened it, skimming through the first page of a report. Attached by a paperclip was a picture, depicting a familiar giant. Though the picture was in shades of black and white, Cap knew that the gray color was supposed to be green. "What kind of trouble is the Hulk in?"

"Someone got him angry, on purpose," Fury answered. "We don't know if someone's trying to capture the Hulk or study him in action, but it has to stop before people get hurt."

"Agreed," Cap said, closing the folder and putting it on the desk. "Your orders?"

"No orders for this one," Fury answered. "The Earth Kingdom is outside SHIELD jurisdiction. You're still technically an independent, free to do as you please."

"With no liability for you," Cap added. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

Fury picked up another folder and handed it to Cap, which had a picture inside. "Several days ago Ba Sing Se sent one of their operatives to deal with the Hulk. We don't know much about him, other than his strange code name Wol-"

"Logan?" Cap interrupted. He recognized the face of his old partner in the picture, which only appeared to be a few years older than the last time they met. "How in the world is Logan still alive?"


	13. Versus

Chapter 13: Versus

Within the mountain ranges of the northern Earth Kingdom, a small town called Milu lay in ruin. Many of its buildings had collapsed and fires burned in them, while rubble was scattered everywhere. People that lived here were working tirelessly to extinguish the fires and tend to their wounded, trying to rebuild their lives. An Earth Kingdom militia was helping the people recover, until the larger military could arrive to deal with the cause of the devastation. Ba Sing Se was mobilizing its troops, but sent an advance agent to fight the threat first.

That advance agent was a short muscular man, who had black hair and sideburns. For traveling he wore a white shirt, blue pants, a black leather jacket, and a wide brown hat. He carried a large closed bag with him, which contained the uniform he used for his line of work. What he does isn't pretty, and Logan is the best there is at it.

When Logan arrived in Milu he found most of the fires put out, the people starting to clean up the rubble in the streets. The militia's colonel was waiting for him, having received a telegram from Ba Sing Se an hour ago. The colonel was an older man with a brown mustache, wearing a brown trench coat and green military beret.

Logan stood next to the colonel and observed the town. "Looks like someone had a bad day."

"It happened about four hours ago, just before dawn," the colonel informed. He started walking with Logan down one of the streets, showing more of the destruction. "The creature was spotted yesterday near the Kingdom/Republic border. This is what happened when it reached civilization."

"Creature?" Logan questioned.

"The Republicans call it the Hulk," the colonel answered. "Intel's sketchy. Department Eight thinks the United Forces has covered something up."

Along the street Logan paused at a wrecked car, seeing a burned doll through a broken window. Logan sniffed the air near the vehicle, catching an unfamiliar but distinctive scent. "Smells… toxic." He looked down at the floor and found several broken crossbow bolts. "Someone tried to fight back. Guess they didn't fight hard enough."

The colonel didn't question how Logan could know that, as that wasn't part of his job. "Department Eight wants you to find and stop the Hulk before it reaches another town or city. And if you can't stop it, kill it."

Logan looked the colonel in the eye, then smiled. "Sounds like fun."

With his orders in mind Logan left Milu, heading into the forested mountains on foot. Once he was out of sight in the woods Logan opened his bag and removed his work uniform, a tight yellow suit with blue arms, blue boots, and blue gloves. It also had a yellow cowl with black around the eyes, which extended back to resemble large black ears. When Logan finished changing into his uniform he packed his travel clothes into his bag, stashing it away in the roots of a tree to pick up later.

On foot Logan walked deeper into the woods, following the toxic scent he picked up earlier. The scent led Logan towards one of the Earth Kingdom's many mountain ranges, which were sparsely populated outside of rural towns. Along the scent trail Logan found strange craters in the ground, as if a large creature had fallen from a great height and compacted the ground on landing. The trail brought Logan up one of the mountains and into snow covered terrain, where he found another strange crater in the snow.

There were footprints in the snow covered crater, which gave Logan reason to pause and examine them. The footprints were huge, far too big to belong to any normal person. Logan followed the large footprints away from the crater, and then he found something even stranger. The size of the footprints abruptly changed along the trail, shrinking to a normal size. The footprints ended at a craggy rock formation, which told Logan that the person making the trail had climbed over it.

As quietly as possible Logan starting climbing the rock formation, taking him up a few dozen feet. Near the top there was a path within the rocks, where thin footprints resumed in grass just slightly covered with snow. The toxic scent was strong here, telling Logan that his prey was near. Logan walked down the path in the rocks and stopped at a corner, hearing someone in a clearing just beyond.

Sitting on a log next to a cliff wall was Bolin, dressed only in tattered pants. Bolin was trying to start a campfire with twigs and grass dug up from under the snow, rubbing his palms with a stick in between to make friction and heat to ignite the grass. He was getting small amounts of smoke in the attempt, but was failing to make fire.

"I wish Mako were here," Bolin muttered, half hoping that mentioning his brother's name would make him appear. Instead he heard a footstep in snow covered grass, and Bolin stood up and turned towards the sound. "Who's there?"

Seeing only a lonely teenager, Logan calmly walked into the clearing. "Kid, what are you doing in the middle of nowhere?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Bolin said.

"I'm tracking," Logan answered, walking closer to Bolin. When they were only a few feet apart from each other Logan caught a stronger whiff of the toxic scent, realizing where it was coming from. Logan slammed Bolin against the cliff wall and held one fist against Bolin's neck, placing his knuckles against the throat. "_You_ smell toxic!"

"Leave me alone!" Bolin yelled, grabbing onto Logan's arm and trying to pry it off. "You don't know…

Bolin was interrupted by a pair of metal claws sliding out of Logan's knuckles, barely missing the sides of Bolin's neck. "Here's the deal bub, there's a third claw that's going to come out if you don't start talking."

Panic coming from the threat of being skewered triggered rage in Bolin, beginning the transformation into the Hulk. A shove tossed Logan across the clearing, slamming into a rock. From further away Logan saw Bolin's body grow larger and muscular, while Bolin's skin turned green. The Hulk stood tall and faced Logan, yelling at the top of his lungs to intimidate Logan.

"Aw hell," Logan muttered.

Hulk swung his fist into Logan's chest, using enough force to launch Logan into the air. He fell to earth in the woods and dented the dirt in his landing, only surviving because of accelerated healing. Logan blacked out for a few seconds, long enough for Hulk to leap after him. At the last second Logan jumped to the side and out of the way, letting Hulk land in and crater the ground that he had just vacated. Logan found himself near the edge of a cliff, hearing the sound of a river at the bottom.

For a moment Logan stared down the Hulk, and then extended all six metal claws from his fists. "Let's do this," Logan muttered.

In response Hulk slammed both fists into the ground, earthbending the entire cliff to collapse beneath their feet. Large slabs of falling stone carried Logan and Hulk into the river below, sinking into the water. Beneath the surface Hulk punched Logan again and again, despite his fists being slowed by water resistance. One uppercut hit hard enough to make Logan burst out of the river, falling down to the shore. Hulk surfaced in the river and swam towards the shore, walking out of the water once his feet could reach the bottom.

Along the shore was a large sharp boulder, which Logan had climbed when Hulk wasn't looking. Logan waited until Hulk walked past, and then he leaped off the boulder and over Hulk. As he dropped down Logan stabbed Hulk's back with all six claws, drawing blood and inflicting intense pain. Logan stabbed Hulk again and again, until Hulk moved backwards and slammed his back into a boulder with Logan in the middle.

When Hulk was finished squishing his opponent Logan fell onto the ground, only needing a breather to get back on his feet. Hulk noticed that Logan wasn't staying down he started pulling rocks from the ground and throwing them. Logan dodged the rocks and ran towards Hulk to stab him again, going for the legs this time. Instead Hulk ripped a slab of stone from the ground and slammed on top of Logan, smashing him into the ground. Hulk slammed the same slab into Logan again, and the slab crumbled in the strike.

"Hulk Smash Little Man! Little Man Leave Hulk Alone!"

Hulk punched Logan's face several times, each hit driving Logan's head into the rock and making his jaw bleed. But Logan's head didn't break apart like a normal head would, an oddity that Hulk didn't care to notice. When it seemed like Logan was staying down Hulk stopped, and he roared at the sky to proclaim his victory. Hulk started to walk away from his opponent, thinking that he was finally going to be left alone.

But after a dozen steps Hulk stopped walking, hearing Logan get back on his feet. Logan stared down the Hulk again, this time with a wide grin. "Okay bub, let's try that again."

Logan ran towards Hulk and jumped upward, slashing his claws into Hulk's left arm. He followed that by landing on Hulk's chest and stabbing it with all of his claws, and then Logan's forward momentum toppled Hulk onto his back. Logan got a few more stabs in before Hulk threw him off, and then both got back on their feet.

Hulk threw more punches at Logan, but they all missed as Logan dodged the large fists. Logan ran underneath Hulk's left hand punch and leaped over Hulk, slashing the left shoulder and then slashing the back again. Logan dodged another strike before getting beneath Hulk, slashing upward into Hulk's chest. Pain from his wounds brought Hulk to his knees, exhausted from the fighting.

There was a pause in the battle as Logan prepared for another strike, ready for round three. But then he heard a distinctive twang sound, recognizing it as a crossbow firing. The sound repeated twenty times in quick succession, each with its own small crossbow bolt piercing Hulk's back. Immediately Hulk fell forward onto his face, and then another small bolt pierced Logan's arm. Logan felt tranquilizers start to take hold, his vision starting to fade.

Turning towards the source of the crossbow bolts Logan saw four people approaching, one of which fired more bolts at Logan with a repeating crossbow. Among the four was an Earth Kingdom man with long dark brown hair and a feral look in his brown coat, a Fire Nation woman with black hair wearing a brown vest and her hands resembled wicked metal claws, a Water Tribe man in red clothes with light brown hair and metal tendrils coming out of his wrists, and the crossbow wielder whose whole body was hidden under a red and black costume.

"Logan, buddy. It's me Deadpool. I shot you…" he fired another crossbow bolt tipped with tranquilizers. "…again."

* * *

Rendered unconscious by tranquilizers, Logan was carried away by the people that interrupted his fight with the Hulk. The tranquilizers knocked out the Hulk as well, forcing him to revert to Bolin. While he was being carried away Logan dreamt a familiar dream, composed of broken memories. This dream was a common one, replaying memories from three decades ago.

_Logan found himself restrained against a metal wall, bound to it by thick wires that kept his limbs from moving. He was in a laboratory, surrounded by various equipment and scientists examining him. Directly in front of him was a metal barrel with its top removed, allowing Logan to see strange molten metal bubbling in high heat. Next to the molten metal was a bald Earth Kingdom scientist wearing thick glasses and a white lab coat, studying Logan like a wild animal._

"_Zon Feng's log: Subject is ready for weaponization." He picked up a sphere of sandstone that fit in one hand, holding it over the molten metal. He crushed the sandstone in both hands to earthbend it into powder, making sure that all of it fell into the metal below. Then he moved his hand in a circle above the metal to earthbend the sand, mixing it with the metal and evenly distributing the new impurities._

"_Beginning Adamantium Infusion," Zon Feng continued. Now that the molten metal was bendable Zon Feng used delicate hand motions to command it, making the metal flow like water. Slowly the metal flowed out of the barrel and towards Logan, still hot and bubbling. And then Zon Feng made the metal flow in several small tendrils, each one piercing a different part of Logan's flesh._

_Logan screamed as the molten metal seared his flesh, feeling it all the way down to his bones. The pain enveloped every part of his body all at once, as Zon Feng was bending the metal to coat every last bone inside Logan's body. Some of the metal escaped out of Logan's hands, shaping into two sets of three blades each. But the metal was still molten in Logan's body, and only his quickly regenerating flesh kept him alive._

_Next Zon Feng started earthbending just the impurities in the molten metal, commanding the earth but not the metal with it. A cloud of dust burst from Logan's skin, leaving the molten metal inside pure and unbendable. Zon Feng earthbended the dust into his hands, shaping it into the same sphere of sandstone it once was. He made certain that he had every last bit of earth that had been used, so that his new weapon could not be metalbended._

Logan awoke to find himself restrained against a wall, eerily similar to the one in his dream. He was also being punched in the face by one of the people that ambushed him in the woods, specifically the Earth Kingdom man with the feral look. Logan knew that face from long ago, back when they were part of the same team. His real name eluded Logan's broken memory, only remembering the alias Sabretooth.

"Wakey-wakey time," Sabretooth said.

Casually leaning against a side wall in the large room was Deadpool, currently twirling a crossbow bolt in his fingers. "Logan, we missed you. Weapon Ten just hasn't been the same without you. Nobody calls me bub anymore. And Omega Red's a…" Deadpool paused, hearing a door open. "He's right behind me isn't he?"

As if on cue the Water Tribe man from the ambush walked through the door, and Logan vaguely remembered him by the alias Omega Red. "One day I will tear out your flippant tongue Deadpool."

"I didn't say it this time," Deadpool said.

Another person walked through the door, who Logan recognized him as Zon Feng. He ignored the others and walked up to where Logan was restrained, examining the condition of his weapon. "Regardless, Weapon Ten is indeed pleased to have you back Logan. We've put considerable time and money into you."

"And pointy things," Deadpool added.

Zon Feng ignored the interruption and continued. "You were our best operative _Wolverine_, so disappointing." He shook his head, thinking about how Logan had managed to escape his organization over a decade ago. "But you did lead us to Bolin. Of course, you know him better as the Hulk."

"I shot him in the butt," Deadpool interrupted, whipping out his repeating crossbow and holding up a tranquilizer bolt. "With one of these, well several of these."

"Weapon Ten has been pursuing the Hulk since he left Republic City," Zon Feng said. He paused to think about the latest attempt to capture the Hulk, which had resulted in the destruction of the town of Milu. "Unfortunately there was some collateral damage. If only Department Eight had sent you in sooner, who knows how much destruction could have been avoided."

"What do you want with the Hulk?" Logan demanded.

"We want the same thing we wanted with you Logan, a weapon," Zon Feng answered. He gestured to a large table in the corner of the room, where a green lamp and disassembled circular track were stored. "Mindbending has come a long way since the Dai Li pioneered the art. What took them months, I can complete in days."

"A chip off his great granddad's block," Deadpool said.

"When I'm finished, Weapon Ten will have the most powerful creature on the planet at our disposal," Zon Feng continued.

Logan thought about that prospect for a moment, wondering just how much destruction could be caused by a weaponized Hulk. It was a prospect that Logan could not allow. "You should have killed me when you had the chance. Because I'm going to get out of here, I'm going to kill all of them, and then I'm going to cut out your heart."

Zon Feng took a step back, but then grinned. "Wolverine, after I'm done with you, you won't even remember this conversation. I've erased your life before, and I'm going to do it again. All you'll know is that you belong to Weapon Ten."

Having other matters to deal with today, Zon Feng turned away from Logan and walked out of the room. Omega Red followed Zon Feng elsewhere, having nothing better to do with his time. Sabretooth left with both of them, wanting to kill Logan but under orders to leave him alive. But Deadpool remained inside, left alone with Logan.

"Wolverine, you look so sad," Deadpool said, walking up to Logan. "Hey if it makes you feel any better, Lady Deathstrike tried to kill you while you were asleep."

"Better than to have to listen to you," Logan argued.

"Man does she hate you," Deadpool added, while drawing one of his crossbows. "I mean, we all hate you. But Deathstrike really, _really_ hates you." Deadpool paused, noticing something odd. "Hey, am I the only one thinking we've had this conversation before?"

"Yes, yes you are," Logan answered.

"Huh, maybe I'm imagining it?" Deadpool muttered. "Oh well. Hey, you still got that unbreakable skull?" Deadpool pointed his crossbow at Logan's face, shooting at pointblank range. The crossbow bolt pierced Logan's face and broke when it hit the Adamantium in his skull, but the blunt force still knocked out Logan. "Aw darn it…"

* * *

This time Logan awoke to finding himself strapped into a metal chair, bound to it by metal restraints on all of his limbs and his chest. He was in a different room, one that was much darker inside and had a stone floor. All around Logan a circular track had been assembled, and on that track was a green lamp. There were motors inside the track and the green lamp was battery powered, upgrades implemented since the days of the Dai Li but still used the basic principles of mindbending.

Standing within the circular track was the Fire Nation woman from the ambush, waiting for Logan to wake up. Unlike the others he'd met today, Logan had crystal clear memories of this enemy. They had first met after Logan escaped from Weapon Ten, before she volunteered for the organization. Logan knew her by the name Yuriko, but she had since abandoned that name and only used her alias Lady Deathstrike.

"You will die today Logan," Deathstrike stated. She held up one of her clawed hands and lightly scratched one of the restraints holding Logan's chest, leaving a thin line in the metal. "It does not matter what Zon Feng says. These are your last breaths."

While Logan struggled against the restraints he saw a door open, followed by Zon Feng and Sabretooth walking inside. Zon Feng scowled at seeing Deathstrike next to Logan, as she was supposed to be elsewhere. "What are you doing here Deathstrike?" Zon Feng demanded. "I'm about to start Wolverine's reprogramming."

"He has to die," Deathstrike said.

"How many times do I need to have this conversation with you?" Zon Feng asked. "He's more valuable alive-"

Suddenly Sabretooth stabbed Zon Feng in the back with both hands, having claw-like fingers that pierced flesh. When Sabretooth removed his hands Zon Feng fell to the floor, and he lost consciousness in the pain but was still alive. "Sorry boss, got to go with the lady on this one."

Deathstrike walked around the Logan and got behind him, right before stabbing her claws through the metal chair into Logan's back. She pulled her hands apart and tore the chair into shreds, along with the back of Logan's shirt and some of his skin. But then Logan threw his head back into Deathstrike's face, knocking her away.

Sabretooth hopped over the circular track in his way, getting up close and punching Logan in the face. Then Sabretooth dug his claws into the metal restraints holding Logan to the chair, tearing them off so he could have some fun killing Logan. Before Logan could attack Sabretooth punched him again, using the blow to turn him around. And then Sabretooth got both arms underneath Logan's and held him in a lock.

"Got to love our healing factors," Sabretooth said. "I'm going to enjoy killing you for days. And then, I think we'll drop the Hulk on an orphanage or something, just for fun."

While Logan was held at bay, Deathstrike slowly approached him. "Logan, for the dishonor you caused my family, you will suffer. And then you will die."

"Sweetheart, you and your family can take your honor and shove it up your bony little-"

Logan was cut off by Sabretooth squeezing harder on his arm lock, preventing him from finishing the insult. But Logan didn't have to finish, as his words were already infuriating Deathstrike even more. Sabretooth noticed the effect on Deathstrike's face, realizing that Logan knew what was about to happen. "Deathstrike, don't!"

With one clawed hand Deathstrike stabbed Logan in the chest, and her claws were long enough to stab Sabretooth as well. A moment of pain broke Sabretooth's lock, just as Logan had planned. Logan headbutted Deathstrike to get her claws out of his chest, and then shoved Sabretooth away. While Sabretooth was recovering Logan punched him in the face several times, only stopping when Sabretooth was out cold.

A loud scream tipped off Logan to Deathstrike's next attack, who was about to slash at him with her claws. Logan dodged the attack and extended his metal claws, slashing them at Deathstrike but missing when she dodged. Deathstrike got in a few slashes on Logan's arms, but his flesh quickly healed. Logan ducked under another attack and then leaped upward, slamming his knee into Deathstrike's face and knocking her out.

As finishing off his enemies would be too time consuming, Logan walked out of the room into a hallway. After a few turns Logan figured he was inside a large industrial complex, intended to house an army of superhuman weapons one day. Right now it housed a small number of mercenaries hired by Weapon Ten, who were running down the same hallway Logan was in to intercept him.

"Target located in Zone 23," one mercenary reported, using a radio to inform the rest of the complex. That mercenary signaled to the others with him, prompting all of them to aim crossbows at Logan. "Take him down."

Logan held up his metal claws and charged at the mercenaries, ignoring shots from their crossbows. When Logan reached the mercenaries he started slashing them with his claws, killing them off one at a time. In just a minute nearly all of the mercenaries had been slain, while one of them started backing away as his comrade's bodies fell.

"Backup!" the mercenary yelled into a radio. "We Need Backup!"

After Logan killed the last mercenary he retracted his claws into his knuckles. And then he calmly walked away, off to find out where Weapon Ten was keeping the Hulk.

* * *

Back in the room with the mindbending equipment Sabretooth and Deathstrike regained consciousness, and were joined by Omega Red and Deadpool. Zon Feng was still on the floor, still alive despite his injured back. Deadpool nudged Zon Feng with his foot, getting a weak grunt in response. And then Deadpool turned towards Omega Red.

"Alright Red, pay up," Deadpool said, holding out one hand.

"Fine," Omega Red said, handing over a small pouch filled with Earth Kingdom coins.

"What's that about?" Deathstrike asked.

"Deadpool bet that the boss would be stabbed right here and live," Omega Red answered.

"And I called it," Deadpool added. "Seriously guys, I'm getting some heavy déjà vu here. It's like everything going on today has already been done."

Sabretooth ignored Deadpool's concerns. "Last thing the boss said before the runt gutted him was for us to kill Wolverine."

"Really?" Deadpool questioned. He paused before glancing at Omega Red. "You buy that? No? Yeah, I'm pretty sure the last thing he said would be 'AH! Sabretooth!'"

"We kill Wolverine now," Omega Red insisted, not caring about Sabretooth's blatant lie. "That is all that matters."

"Whatever you say Red," Deadpool said. He took out a crossbow and a sword, holding them in a fancy pose. "I'm up for a little murder, even if it will be tricky to pull off."

* * *

In another part of the complex Logan started checking every room he could find, and eventually found the one he was looking for. Inside he found Bolin restrained to a metal chair, just like he had been earlier. There was mindbending equipment set up and ready to go to work, only lacking an operator to begin the process. Bolin was asleep in the chair, as there was nothing else he could do at the moment.

Logan walked up to the chair and used his claws to cut through the restraints, and then he shook Bolin until he woke up. "Come on, wake up."

"Huh…" Bolin groaned, slowly becoming conscious. He saw Logan and pushed away from him, which Logan let him do. "Not you again…"

"Get it together," Logan ordered. "We're going to have company soon."

"Who are you?" Bolin asked.

"Someone you don't want to know," Logan answered. "But now we got to move."

Together Logan and Bolin walked out of the room into the hallway, trying to find the way out now. Neither of them said a word while the walked, as Logan didn't want to talk and Bolin had nothing to say. As they walked down one hallway Logan caught a familiar scent, and he held up one hand to silently tell Bolin to stop.

Sudden and rapid crossbow bolts were fired from an adjacent hallway, and only Deadpool's scent tipped off Logan in time to get himself and Bolin out of the way. Then a nearby wall broke down as Omega Red' metal tendrils burst through it, allowing him to walk through a new hole and ensnare Logan's chest with his tendrils.

"Please, struggle," Omega Red insisted, holding Logan in the air with his tendrils. "It will make your death so much sweeter."

"Stop!" Bolin yelled, about to earthbend the floor. But before he could attack he found Deadpool up close and pointing a repeating crossbow at Bolin's head.

"Start!" Deadpool yelled, adding a little laugh. "As in, start praying to your maker."

Omega Red used his tendrils to slam Logan into a wall.

"Twang!" Deadpool yelled. "No just kidding."

Logan got slammed into the wall again, but noticed that Bolin was still Bolin.

"Click-Click," Deadpool taunted.

Logan kicked off the wall that he had just been slammed into, getting enough force to overcome Omega Red's tendrils. He used that force to kick Omega Red's head, which forced the tendrils to let go. And then Logan hurried over to Bolin, extending his claws and slashing Deadpool's crossbow. One slash cut the crossbow into several pieces, and made Deadpool back away in shock.

"Whoa!" Deadpool yelled, holding up half a crossbow. "So glad that was the backup."

An elbow to the face shut up Deadpool and knocked him down, and then Logan started running down the hallway with Bolin. While they ran Logan noticed that Bolin was still normal. "What's the matter with you?" Logan demanded. "Do your thing! We need your big green friend right now!"

"Something's wrong!" Bolin yelled. "They did something to me, something to keep me calm."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Logan questioned.

"I change when I get angry," Bolin answered. "And that's not happening."

Without warning Logan stabbed Bolin in the gut, knowing that extreme pain tended to purge calm inducing drugs. "Maybe that will help speed things up," Logan said, ignoring Bolin's painful screams.

At that moment Deathstrike and Sabretooth arrived, joining their comrades Omega Red and Deadpool. "Logan!" Deathstrike yelled, getting his attention.

"End of the line runt," Sabretooth said. "Got any last words?"

"Not today," Logan answered. Instead he charged at all four of them.

Sabretooth readied his clawed fingers, Deathstrike held up her clawed hands, Omega Red extended his metal tendrils, and Deadpool drew a pair of short swords. "Let's dance," Deadpool said, and all four of them charged at Logan.

Logan reached Sabretooth first, both slashing with their claws and swinging a few kicks. Logan landed a kick to Sabretooth's stomach and an elbow strike to the jaw, and then another kick tossed Sabretooth away. He went after Deathstrike next, who nimbly dodged Logan's claws. After a few missed attacks Logan heard another foe about to attack, coming from above.

"Banzai!"

Deadpool had jumped above Logan and was coming down swords first. He saw Logan slash with his right-hand claws, about to hit Deadpool's right arm. Deadpool twisted in midair to avoid the claws, but the effort was in vain as Logan slashed with his left-hand claws. The claws sliced through Deadpool's right arm just below the shoulder, detaching the limb along with two slices of arm rolling on the floor.

"AH!" Deadpool screamed, landing on his knees and seeing his limb a few feet away. "Son of a… Not _Again!_"

His comrade's misfortune didn't stop Omega Red from exploiting an opportunity, getting his tendrils around Logan's limbs and grabbing him. Omega Red lifted Logan into the air and tightened his grip, slowing squeezing Logan. Sabretooth and Deathstrike watched their comrade work, while Deadpool tried to put his limb back together. Once Deadpool had his arm back in the correct alignment his healing factor reattached the limb, leaving Deadpool with only numb sensation in his reattached arm.

Meanwhile the sheer pain Bolin was suffering overwhelmed the drugs he had been subjected to, allowing anger and rage to finally take hold. Bolin's body grew larger and turned green, becoming the Hulk once again. As the Hulk the stab wounds in his gut healed, but the pain the wounds had caused still made Hulk angry.

"Hulk Smash Claw People!"

The Hulk charged at his enemies, pulling back a large fist to punch the first one he could reach. Deathstrike and Deadpool jumped out of the way, while Omega Red let go of Logan so that he could get to cover. That left Sabretooth in Hulk's sights, and he froze in shock for a split second. That was long enough for Hulk to swing his fist up into Sabretooth's chest, launching him up and through the ceiling. Force from the blow sent Sabretooth through several floors, and then through the complex's roof and flying across the horizon and landing in Earth Kingdom wilderness.

Deadpool drew another repeating crossbow and opened fire on the Hulk, shooting as many bolts as he could into Hulk's green hide. At the same time Omega Red extended one of his tendrils, wrapping it around Hulk's wrist. Omega Red pulled on his tendril to yank the Hulk down, but Hulk yanked back harder. Hulk yanked on Omega Red to bring him in closer, and then punched him in the chest. The blow sent Omega Red flying across the hallway and slamming into Deathstrike, and they both tumbled to the end of the hallway and into a larger chamber.

"Little Man…" Hulk muttered, noticing that Logan was nearby. Hulk grabbed the wall and ripped out a chunk of it, then threw it at Logan.

Logan rolled out of the way, and he did not retaliate. "Hey, I'm on your side you flaming idiot."

At first Hulk took slow steps towards Logan, remembering their last encounter. When Logan didn't attack right away Hulk charged at him, and Logan ran down the hallway to avoid Hulk's rampage. Neither of them noticed Deadpool putting away his crossbow and chasing after the Hulk, not wanting to be left out of the fight.

"Hey wait for me!" Deadpool yelled. He made a running jump and landed on top of the Hulk, and then took out a pair of grenades. "Double Time Lunch Time," Deadpool announced, pulling a pair of pins with his fingers and then shoving the grenades into Hulk's mouth. Before detonation Deadpool jumped off Hulk and started running beside Logan. "Logan, I think we lost him!"

The two grenades exploded inside Hulk's mouth, and from it a shockwave erupted and hit Logan and Deadpool. Both of them were flung to the end of the hallway, just before the larger chamber beyond. A cloud of smoke shrouded the area that the grenades had exploded at, hiding the results of Deadpool's attack.

"He's still alive isn't he?" Deadpool asked, looking at the smoke. "Nothing ever dies in a smoke cloud."

"Bub, that only made him angrier," Logan said.

The smoke cloud dispersed, gradually revealing the Hulk standing there. "Talking Man Hurt Hulk. Hulk Rip Off Talking Man's Head!"

"My head?" Deadpool muttered. "Is that really the best threat he can come up with?"

"He's all yours," Logan said. He grabbed Deadpool by the back of his outfit and threw him at the Hulk, where a green fist punched Deadpool and sent him flying back the way he came. Deadpool skidded along the floor into the larger chamber, out cold from the blow.

Logan retreated out of the hallway and into the larger chamber, where Deathstrike and Omega Red were recovering. Omega Red ambushed Logan by tackling him, getting Logan onto his back and then punching his face over and over. Meanwhile Deathstrike attacked Hulk, slashing with her claws while avoiding Hulk's fists. Deathstrike slashed cuts into Hulk's chest and back, cutting deep enough to bleed.

"Ugly Girl Scratch Hulk!" He swung his fists some more, missing Deathstrike each time. Then Hulk slammed both fists into the floor, earthbending the floor underneath Deathstrike. That bending made slabs of rock rise from the floor, catching Deathstrike and slamming her against the ceiling.

Nearby Omega Red was still punching Logan, not caring that all of his comrades had been dealt with by the Hulk. But while Omega Red was busy Hulk got behind him, grabbing Omega Red by the head and lifting him off Logan. Then Hulk slammed Omega Red against a wall and threw him into the floor, skidding away several feet. For good measure Hulk jumped on top of Omega Red, and then leaped off with enough force to crater the floor.

When Hulk landed he made another crater, shaking the entire complex. Hulk started punching the floor again and again, earthbending huge shockwaves that rattled the very foundations below. All around him the complex's buildings and structures began to tear themselves apart, raining debris from the ceiling all around the Hulk.

Logan didn't bother to stop Hulk from destroying the complex, instead he encouraged Hulk to destroy it. "Go for it big guy, tear this whole spirit forsaken place down to the ground!"

That got Hulk's attention, even as everything was collapsing around them. Hulk ripped a large slab of stone out of the floor and swung it like a bat, hitting Logan at a slight upward angle. That impact sent Logan flying into the air and through the ceiling, and through several more floors beyond it. And Logan kept on going through the entire complex, bursting outside and soaring across the sky. He came back down outside the complex's perimeter, landing in Earth Kingdom wilderness not far from where Sabretooth was lying unconscious.

When Logan recovered he got up and saw the outside of the complex, taking in the view of dozens of industrial buildings. That view didn't last long, as the entire complex collapsed. A giant cloud of smoke rose in the collapse, momentarily hiding the end result. And when that smoke cloud started to disperse Logan heard a distinctive yell, and he saw the Hulk leaping away from the wreckage and in his direction. The Hulk landed only a few feet away from Logan, ignoring the destruction behind him.

"Alright bub, where were we?" Logan asked.

* * *

A few hours later some rubble in the destroyed complex started to be pushed aside, a result of someone digging himself out. Once the way was clear Deadpool emerged, the first one to make it out alive. He had no idea where his comrades ended up, and cared even less. Only one thing was on his mind as he surveyed the area, something that had been bugging him all day.

"Oh now I get it," Deadpool said, snapping his fingers in realization. "This is all a rehash of Hulk Versus…"

_WHAM!_

The Hulk landed on top of Deadpool and leaped away again, completely unaware of him and continuing on his way.

"Ow…"


	14. Version 2

_A/N: This chapter was not part of my original plans when I started writing stuff taking place between seasons. Back then I was really expecting Book Two to have started airing by now._

Chapter 14: Version 2.0

Inside an office at City Hall, General Iroh was busy reading and signing many different documents and forms. All of them were involved with running Republic City, though the reason why the city needed so much paperwork eluded him. A new city council couldn't form soon enough for Iroh, so that he could dump the work on them and get out of government. Running a city also made Iroh wish there were more people between him and the Fire Lord in the line of succession, so that he might avoid running an entire nation in the future.

The office door opened and the current chief of police walked inside, and Saikhan carried a whole new stack of papers to Iroh's desk. "More requisition forms for you, sir."

"More?" Iroh complained. When Saikhan set down the papers Iroh grabbed the one on top and read it, frowning at what he read on it. "Why do you need a form for police tea purchases?"

"For ration allotments," Saikhan answered.

Iroh sighed and signed the form anyway, figuring that it was a waste of time to debate the absurdity of paperwork for trivial matters. "Here," Iroh said, handing the form back to Saikhan.

"Thank you sir," Saikhan said, taking the form along with a stack of completed paperwork. Saikhan turned around and walked out of the office, closing the door behind him.

Another sigh and Iroh got started with the new paperwork, wishing for anything else to happen right now. He heard the door open again but didn't bother looking up to see who was entering. "What now?"

"I need your help."

The voice of the former chief of police made Iroh look up, seeing Lin Bei Fong wearing a trench coat instead of her police uniform. "Oh thank Agni," Iroh said, standing up behind the desk. "Please tell me you're here for your old job back."

"No such luck," Lin answered. "There's something going down that I can't handle alone."

"Call the Avengers," Iroh insisted, getting back to signing paperwork.

"I tried," Lin said. She held up one finger for each member as she listed them off. "Mako's recovering from a hangover, Asami's nursing that hangover, Tahno's somewhere with the military, Shran's out of the city, Bolin's in the Earth Kingdom, and Korra's… no one knows where Korra is."

"Point taken," Iroh said. He pushed the paperwork to one side of the desk and gave Lin his full attention. "What's going on?"

"People are going missing," Lin answered. She reached into her coat and took out a thin folder, handing it over to Iroh.

Iroh opened the folder and quickly read through a report inside, seeing a list of several dozen names. "Is there any connection between these people?"

"Only one," Lin answered. "They're all Amon's victims."

"Haven't those people suffered enough?" Iroh said.

"Apparently not," Lin said. "Someone's specifically targeting them, and it has to stop."

A second was all Iroh needed to make a decision. He picked up the phone on the phone on the desk and waited for the other end to pick up. "Operator, put me through to front desk." Iroh waited as the phone line operator connected his call. "Hello, Mishu, reschedule all of my meetings for the next few days, thank you."

"So you're going to help?" Lin asked.

After hanging up the phone Iroh walked around the desk. "Of course I'll help," Iroh said. He walked over to a trunk in the corner and kicked a latch to unlock it, then used his foot to lift open a lid and reveal a disassembled suit of metal armor inside. "I've been looking for an excuse to use this again."

* * *

That evening a single, lonely man walked down the streets of the Dragon Flats Burrow, one of the more rundown districts of Republic City. He was a Water Tribe man with short brown hair and a tiny goatee, wearing an old blue suit that was torn and ragged from wearing it on the streets. Reduced to living on the streets after losing his waterbending, this former member of the Triple Threat Triad barely had any of the reputation that once belonged to Shady Shin.

As the sky reddened in the setting sun the streets darkened in the shadows of tall buildings, making the burrow appear rather ominous. Even though it was getting harder to see in the darkening streets, the lamps lining the street still didn't turn on. Shin knew that the lights would only turn on when the sun was fully set, it was the power plant owner's excuse to conserve electricity and save money. That left a few minutes of near complete darkness in the streets, perfect for anyone wanting to make an ambush.

Shin was about to turn at a corner when the streets were at their darkest, and three masked men ambushed him there. Shin grabbed one of them by the arm and swung him into a streetlamp, head slamming against the metal pole. But the other two masked men got behind Shin and grabbed his arms, twisting them behind his back. The one that Shin had struck got back on his feet and took out a black hood, forcing it over Shin's head before punching Shin's gut. All three masked men forced Shin further down the street where a satomobile was waiting, and when they reached it Shin was tied up and shoved into the trunk.

Meanwhile, several blocks behind where the ambush happened, Lin was watching from behind a closed newspaper stand. "They took the bait," she whispered to herself.

One of the masked men took the driver's seat and started the engine, and when the others got inside the satomobile drove off. A few blocks behind it Lin got on a motorcycle and started it, but made sure that its headlight stayed off. Lin followed the satomobile while staying several car lengths behind, trying to remain hidden from it in the dark. Not helping that was the streetlamps turning on when they sky was fully black, revealing every vehicle on the streets like they were meant to do.

Following the satomobile took Lin to Republic City's industrial district, passing by several factories that were shut down for the night. The people inside the satomobile either didn't notice the motorcycle behind them or simply didn't care. The satomobile drove behind one factory owned by Cabbage Corp and entered a parking lot, coming to a stop next to several other satomobiles parked there. Lin drove past the factory parking lot instead of stopping right away, making it appear that she was heading somewhere else.

Half a dozen blocks from the factory Lin parked her motorcycle, right next to a warehouse adjacent to a Sato Industries factory. After pocketing the motorcycle's key Lin walked over to a ladder bolted to the warehouse's wall and started climbing, reaching the roof and then standing on it. Lin pulled out a flare and lit it with a spark rock, and she threw the flare in the direction away from the Cabbage Corp factory. At the edge of the roof the flare sent a signal to anyone in the air, but the warehouse itself hit the signal from the people in the parking lot.

Rather than wait for the signal to reach its recipient, Lin climbed back down the ladder and walked the few blocks to the Cabbage Corp factory. There was no time to waste, as the kidnappers had a head start after Lin's small detour. When she reached the factory Lin saw that the satomobile was still in the parking lot, telling her that the kidnappers were still inside the building. Figuring that the entrance the kidnappers used was going to be guarded Lin went to a door on another side, and took a lockpick out of her pocket.

"This used to be so much easier," Lin complained, trying to pick a lock when she used to metalbend her way through locked doors. It took her a few minutes to pick the lock in the door handle, and when she finished the door opened with only a slight creaking sound.

On the other side of the door was a staircase leading upward, and Lin climbed to a higher floor and walked through another door. Past that door was a metal catwalk with railings above a wide factory floor, where Lin could see a dozen assembly lines for Cabbage Corp products. Looking down Lin saw various car parts in different stages of assembly along the lines, an attempt by the company to muscle in on the satomobile market. And in between the assembly lines were the thugs that kidnapped Shady Shin, along with two dozen more thugs and nine more abductees that were kept on their knees with hoods covering their heads.

At one end of the factory was a set of large double doors, which had a pair of thugs standing guard. Knocks on the other side alerted the guards, prompting one of them to address the others guarding the abductees. "Next."

The thugs forced a middle aged man onto his feet, though the man's hands were bound behind his back by metal chains. He was escorted by three of the thugs to the large double doors, where the two guards pushed the man through but did not follow. None of the thugs knew what was about to happen to him or any of the other abductees, just that the guy that wanted them paid them in cash before and after their jobs were done.

Among the other abductees Shady Shin struggled against his restraints, despite being unable to see while the black hood covered his head. "Would someone please tell me what you people want?"

"Only the boss knows why," one thug answered.

There was another knock behind the large double doors. "Next."

The thug that had answered Shin grabbed him and forced Shin onto his feet. "Looks like you get to find out," the thug said.

While the thugs were escorting Shin to the double doors Lin looked up at the ceiling, which had several rows of skylights for cheap illumination during the day. Right now only black sky could be seen through it, as the stars were drowned out by the city's light. "Come on… where are you?" Lin whispered.

As if on cue, a plume of flame shot across the sky, prompting the thugs to look up and guess what caused it. The plume disappeared as the source moved on, but the few seconds of bright light was enough to draw the thugs' attention upward. One thug spotted Lin on the catwalk, and pointed at her for the others to find as well. "Get her!"

"Aw crap," Lin muttered.

Half of the thugs moved away from the abductees and towards several ladders spread along the catwalk, hurrying to climb them and intercept the intruder. Lin rushed to the nearest ladder and arrived just as one thug was about to reach the top, and then she kicked him in the face. The blow knocked the thug off the ladder and bumped off another one, sending both falling to the factory floor. That ladder was quickly abandoned by the thugs still at the bottom, scattering to other ladders where Lin couldn't get to all of them at once.

Further down the catwalk on Lin's left one thug climbed onto the top, where he then ran towards Lin while brandishing a crowbar in both hands. When the thug swung the crowbar Lin ducked underneath it, and then she grabbed and twisted the thugs arm to make him drop the crowbar. Before it could hit the catwalk Lin grabbed the crowbar and swung it up into the thug's jaw, hearing something crack while the thug stumbled back from the blow. A kick knocked the thug back even further, right into another one that had just climbed onto the catwalk.

More thugs approached from the other end of the catwalk, moving in single file between the railings. Lin threw the crowbar with all the force her arm could muster, hitting the lead thug in the face and knocking him back into the thug behind him. The next thug had to carefully step over the fallen one to avoid tripping, but that delay was enough for Lin to rush in and punch him in the face. A second body fell on top of the first and obstructed the catwalk, making the thugs behind hesitate instead of trampling over the fallen.

On the factory floor one thug climbed into an incomplete car, one that had yet to receive a set of doors and windows. But it had an engine and wheels assembled onto a car frame, enough to start the vehicle and ram it into the catwalk's support struts beneath Lin. Crashing the incomplete car broke the struts and made the catwalk buckle and gradually collapse, metal screeching as it pulled apart while falling. The thugs still on the catwalk held onto the railings for dear life, while the unconscious ones fell off to their demise.

At first Lin held onto the railings as well, until her part of the catwalk was about to fall onto a stack of car doors. Before the falling catwalk hit the stack Lin jumped off, missing the stack and reaching open floor next to it. She rolled when she hit the floor, surviving the fall with only a few bruises on her arms and legs. But then Lin found herself surrounded by thugs that had stayed on the factory floor, a dozen of them cutting off every possible escape route.

"Nowhere to run miss," one thug said.

"Wasn't trying to," Lin said. She looked up at the dark skylights, just in time to see some of them shatter.

Bursting through the skylights was the arrival of General Iroh in his suit of armor, flying on pillars of flame from his hands and feet. He aimed them at the floor to slow his descent, and stopped firebending altogether when he was still two stories high. Iroh dropped down the rest of the way and landed next to Lin, allowing everyone to see the armor he wore. It was much bulkier than the last time he used it in battle, making him appear to be a larger person while hiding weapons underneath the metal.

"Sorry I'm late," Iroh apologized to Lin. "I'm still getting the hang of flight."

"At least you showed up," Lin said.

Most of the thugs around them were speechless at the sudden entrance, except for one. "Iron Man!"

"Wrong," Iroh said. He raised his hands and aimed them at two of the thugs. "But you can call me… _War Machine!_"

Iroh punctuated the introduction with twin fireblasts from his hands, amplified by chi enhancers into large waves of fire that struck down two thugs. Then he swung his arms in a circle to start bending lightning, but stopped at the first step and bent a tiny charge through his palms. The chi enhancers amplified the tiny charge into full sized bolts of lightning, firing them from his palms and hitting two more thugs. The remaining thugs dove for cover behind incomplete cars and piles of spare parts, obtaining some protection from fire and lightning.

While Iroh kept the thugs attention on him Lin slipped away from the battle, hurrying to the abductees still on their knees with hands tied behind their backs. She pulled out a small knife as she approached the closest abductee, cutting through the bonds on a teenage girl. Once the girl was free Lin offered the knife she held, while her other hand drew another knife. "Help me with the others," Lin ordered.

The teenager nodded and accepted the offered knife, immediately getting to work cutting the bonds on another abductee. Within moments they had the remaining seven abductees free and on their feet, each pulling off the hoods covering their heads. The teenager pointed toward the double doors at the end of the factory, which were now unprotected as the guards were assisting in the fight against War Machine. "They took some of us in there."

"I'll deal with that," Lin assured the girl. "You all need to get out of here."

"No need to tell us twice," one abductee said, right before bolting for the nearest exit with the others.

Once all of the freed abductees were out of the factory Lin turned her attention back on the fight, seeing Iroh closing in on one thug and punching with an armored fist. A dozen feet away a pair of thugs lifted up a spare car door and hurled it at Iroh, leaving him with only a moment to react. Iroh reached behind his back and grabbed hold of a pair of handles sticking out of the armor, pulling on them to draw a pair of curved swords that had been hidden in the armor. He slashed both swords just before the thrown car door could hit him, slicing it into three pieces and knocking all of them away.

"I've got to thank gramps for these," Iroh muttered, putting the swords away in the back of his armor. With his armored hands he beckoned for the thugs to come at him, as well as raising his voice for a taunt. "Come on, I'll take all of you!"

Seeing that Iroh had the fight under control Lin headed straight for the double doors, as there were still Shin and the earlier abductees brought through the doors before the fight. Lin had no idea what was waiting behind those doors, just that she had to stop whatever was going on there. She barged her way through the doors and entered a storage room on the other side, which had dozens of crates stacked in the four corners.

In the middle of the room was Shin on his knees, his black hood removed but his hands were still bound behind his back. In front of Shin was a person that Lin did not recognize, as he wore red armor, a purple cape, and a red helmet that only left his face exposed. The stranger had his left hand on Shin's shoulder to hold him down, while his right hand had fingers pressed against Shin's forehead. There was a very dull humming sound coming from where the stranger's fingers met Shin's head, almost as if the source was underneath the flesh.

Lin halted at the sight she barged into, finding it eerily similar to the night she lost her bending. Horrifying was the thought of another person having the ability to take away bending, but perplexing was that the technique was being used on a person that already had his bending taken away. It appeared that Shin was having a small seizure this time around, his limps twitching violently and threatening to break themselves while bound behind his back.

When the stranger was finished he pulled his hand away, letting Shin fall onto his side. He nudged Shin with his foot, getting a weak groan from a now unconscious man. "Closer, but still not right…" he muttered.

Only then did Lin notice other abductees in the room, thirteen of them lying against the walls. None of them were conscious, most were dribbling from their mouths, and a few were clearly dead. It was like something out of her dad's old war stories, witnessing experiments gone awry on unwilling test subjects. It almost made her feel guilty for using Shin as bait to find the guy responsible, if he hadn't been a known criminal before losing his bending.

The man with the red helmet turned his attention to Lin, staring at her face for a few seconds. "I know you," he said. One hand slowly rose upward, as if grasping for a name. "Yes, I remember now. You're Lin Bei Fong."

"And you are?" Lin demanded.

"You don't remember who I am?" He paused and slightly turned to the left, pulling his hand to his chest. "No, I suppose you wouldn't. It was a long time ago."

Lin dearly wished that she could see something to identify the man under the helmet, as his face was not enough to tell who he was. "Enlighten me," Lin requested. "Who are you?"

"These days I am known as Magnus," he introduced himself.

"Well then, Magnus, you're under arrest," Lin declared.

"I think not," Magnus said. He waved one hand and in response there was a humming sound, followed by a metal chain lifting itself off the floor and hurling towards Lin.

Lin dodged the moving chain and saw it slam into a wall, wishing that she still had her metalbending to throw it right back at Magnus. But she also recognized the sound that had accompanied the attack, remembering it from the day she lost her bending. "It was you," she said. "The Equalists got me because of you!"

"Yes, and Amon took your bending," Magnus admitted. He spread both arms apart, summoning everything in the room made of metal that wasn't bolted down. Tools, barrels, car parts, nails and bolts, all that metal started floating around Magnus in harmonic circles. "Now I get the rest of you."

A spare fuel tank was hurled out of Magnus's metal arsenal, aimed straight for Lin's chest. She jumped out of the way but then saw an axel heading for her, ducking underneath it to dodge. As she avoided more metal Lin was silently glad that she had left her police uniform at home, as the metal in it would have left her at Magnus's mercy. Another leap let Lin dodge a hurled car door, but put her back against a wall and limiting her movements.

Suddenly pieces of the wall broke apart as metal rebar twisted free, warping into cables that snared Lin's wrists and ankles. "I should have seen that coming," Lin said, looking down at her predicament.

With a wave of his hand Magnus dismissed the metal he still controlled, letting it all crash onto the floor. He started taking slow steps towards Lin, raising one hand to Lin's eye level. "Let's see if you'll live through-"

A burst of flame breaking down the doors interrupted Magnus, followed by heavy footsteps approaching from the other side. Walking through the open entrance was Iroh, finished dealing with all of the thugs on the factory floor. A glance was all Iroh needed to see that Lin was in trouble, prompting him to raise and aim his armored hands at Magnus.

"Let her go!" Iroh demanded.

"A man in a metal suit," Magnus observed, finding that all too easy an opponent. He held his hand towards Iroh, towards the armor that started to hum. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."

Magnetic fields lifted Iroh off the floor, hurling him straight up into the ceiling. Then he was dragged across the ceiling into a wall, and then slid down the wall upside down into the floor. From there Iroh was thrown across the room, screaming as he slammed into a stack of crates. Iroh stood up and thrust his hands at Magnus to firebend, but his arms were yanked apart and his flames were shot into opposite walls. When the flames were burned out Iroh found himself immobilized in his armor, stuck in a position where his limbs were spread out and he was levitated a few inches off the floor.

"Okay, I'm impressed," Iroh admitted, stuck staring at Magnus. "You have some very good metalbending."

"It's far more than that," Magnus said, holding one hand towards Iroh to control the metal armor. "My power has risen beyond bending, maximized into a mastery of magnetism."

"Good to know," Iroh said.

"And I want to know who's under that helmet," Magnus said. With his other hand he reached towards Iroh's head and slowly spread his fingers apart, focusing his magnetism on Iroh's helmet at prying it apart, sending the pieces to every corner of the room. "General Iroh of the United Forces."

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance," Iroh said.

"You'd have a better chance at fighting me without that armor," Magnus said. He slightly closed his fingers, making the armor squeeze tighter until Iroh screamed in pain.

"Stop!" Lin demanded, still bound to the wall.

Magnus relaxed his magnetic grip and turned back towards Lin, reaching towards her and magnetically pulling on the metal rebar that held her. The rebar came free from the wall and carried Lin towards Magnus, stopping when she was next to him. "Now, where were we?" He asked, reaching towards Lin's forehead.

When the fingers touched her forehead Lin felt intense pain, far more than when Amon took her bending away. It seemed like her very thoughts were being scrambled, unable to think or feel anything but the pain inflicted on her brain. Incoherent impulses from her mind triggered a seizure throughout her entire body, making her limbs jerk randomly with only the metal bonds holding her still. When the pain stopped Lin instantly lost consciousness, her body going completely limp and held up by the metal bonds.

"LIN!" Iroh yelled, struggling against his magnetized armor but failing to move.

"Hmm…" Magnus muttered, observing the result of his latest test. Unlike most of his earlier test subjects Lin was still alive, but it remained to be seen if his experiment was successful. Few in Republic City knew that the human brain used electrical impulses to control the body, and that electricity could be manipulated by magnetism.

"What have you done to her?!" Iroh demanded, watching Magnus release his magnetic grip on Lin's bonds and let her drop to the floor.

"If it worked, she'll thank me," Magnus answered. He focused his attention on Iroh, now that he was only person left to deal with. "As for you, well, I have no use for a bender."

As Magnus clenched his fingers Iroh's armor began to squeeze again, threatening to crush him in it. Desperate for a way out, Iroh took in as deep a breath as he could manage. Iroh blew out a plume of fire straight at Magnus, forcing Magnus to magnetically summon a car door to use as a shield. While Magnus blocked the flames the effort made him release his grip on Iroh's armor, dropping to the floor with his mobility restored.

The instant Iroh stopped breathing fire he started the arm motions for bending lightning, trying to do it as quickly as possible. When the flames were extinguished Magnus saw what Iroh was doing, and he resumed his magnetic grip on the armor just as Iroh was about to shoot lightning. Iroh's arms were spread apart again, where they could only shoot at the walls. Instead Iroh kept the lightning internalized, hoping that it wouldn't fry his organs in the meantime.

"This is gonna hurt!" Iroh yelled, focusing the lightning into his chest.

The generator in the armor's chest began to glow brighter, overloading with electricity from another source. Lightning escaped through Iroh's chest into the generator, which made a shower of sparks fly before the lightning fired through the generator. A bolt of light shot straight at Magnus, hitting his improvised shield and slamming it into him. From there the lightning pushed Magnus across the room, all while electricity arced from Magnus into everything around him. The attack slammed Magnus into a wall and broke through it, revealing outdoor pavement on the other side.

When his attack was over Iroh fell onto his knees, breathing heavily while clutching at his chest. The generator for the armor was barely flickering with light, just barely functional after being overloaded. Iroh's heat was beating so hard that he thought he might be having a heart attack, but that fear slowly subsided as his heartbeat calmed. Looking forward Iroh saw that Magnus had been blasted outside the factory into the parking lot, where Magnus was on the pavement and twitching with electrical shocks.

"Yup, that hurt," Iroh muttered, slowly getting back on his feet. He started walking towards Lin, each step a painful one. When he reached her Iroh bent down and picked up Lin, grunting as he lifted the larger and limp woman. Then he turned around and walked through the doorway, stepping over the remains of the doors he's broken down earlier to reach the main factory. He kept walking until he was in the middle of the factory floor, right below the broken skylight.

Iroh kicked off the floor and firebended with his feet, taking flight and ascending through the skylight into the night sky. The intensity of Iroh's flames wavered between normal and enhanced, as the armor's chi enhancers weren't getting enough power from the damaged generator. Each time his firebending weakened Iroh fell out of the sky, and after each short fall his firebending strengthened and let him rise back upward. Iroh knew that he didn't have long before the generator would completely fail, and he had to get Lin to safety before the enhancers lose power and they would plummet to their doom.

Fortunately Iroh knew exactly where to go, and it wasn't far from the factory. A few dozen blocks away Iroh began his descent, struggling with his unstable firebending. Iroh was heading straight for a hospital, and when he reached the hospital's parking lot he was flying twenty feet above the ground. There sparks burst out of the generator and it went dark, completely burnt out and cutting off the armor's power. Iroh's bending weakened to normal and he fell towards the pavement, unable to sustain flight any longer.

Just before hitting the pavement Iroh twisted himself around, landing on his back with Lin on top of him. The armor absorbed most of the force from the impact, while Iroh's momentum made them slide across the parking lot. They slid all the way to the hospital's entrance, barging through the doors into a brightly lit lobby, coming to a stop at the front desk. There Iroh lost consciousness, his vision going black just as medical staff arrived to help him and Lin.

* * *

"She's coming to."

A woman's voice was the first thing Lin noticed, coming from above and to her right. Lin's eyes slowly opened and she saw a brightly lit hospital room, and that she was lying down in a bed. She turned her head towards the voice and saw a nurse standing there, giving instructions to an assistant who then left the room to carry them out. Lin tried to get up and on her feet, but sheer exhaustion prevented her from moving more than a few inches.

"Where am I?" Lin asked.

"Kanna's General Hospital," the nurse answered.

That answer put Lin at ease, knowing that the best physicians in Republic City were at hand. "Where's Iroh?" Lin asked.

As if on cue a door opened and Iroh stepped through, using a walking stick in one hand while the other was held close to his chest. Iroh was wearing his normal United Forces uniform, which couldn't hide the presence of thick bandages underneath his shirt. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

Lin tried to get up again, but could barely sit upright before pain stopped her. "I feel like someone was beating a badgermole with my head."

"Whatever that guy did, it knocked you out for a week," Iroh said.

"A week!" Lin yelled, surprised that anything could keep her down that long. And then her belly started to rumble. "Great, now I'll have to eat hospital food."

"Just don't ask how they kept you fed while unconscious that long," Iroh suggested.

The door opened again and another person entered, wearing the standard white coat of a professional doctor. He had light skin, green eyes, short black hair, and a goatee. He was holding a clipboard with several pages of notes on it, but he set it down on a table before walking up to Lin's bed. "If you don't mind Lin, I'd like to ask a few questions."

"I have one," Lin said. "Who are you?"

"I'm Doctor Boshi," he answered. "And I'm a specialist from Ba Sing Se."

"Alright, ask away," Lin said, laying her head down on the bed's pillow.

"Iroh tells me that your assailant used a technique that looked similar to the one that Amon used to take bending away," Boshi said. "Did it feel the same?"

"It was more painful," Lin answered. She paused for a few seconds, and then added more. "Now that I think about it, it seemed like a cruder version."

"I see," Boshi said. He picked up his clipboard and scribbled a few notes on a page. "Did you see the assailant use it on anyone else?"

"Yeah, Magnus used it on Shin," Lin answered. A stray thought crossed her mind. "Did anyone go back for him?"

"The cops did," Iroh answered. "The abductees we freed called them in and they recovered Shin, along with some other victims that we were too late to save."

"Most of them were dead before help arrived," Boshi added. He flipped through the pages on his clipboard, checking some earlier notes. "Their families were notified, and have agreed to donate the bodies for medical research."

"What kind of research?" Lin asked.

"The kind that could lead to restoration of bending through surgery," Boshi answered. He saw surprise on Lin and Iroh's faces, and he held up one hand to say he wasn't finished. "Don't get your hopes up yet. We've only finished the first three autopsies."

Iroh sat down in a chair, taking in the news. "Well, it's a start."

"Enough to point us in the right direction," Boshi said. He removed one page from his clipboard and handed it to Iroh, showing him an illustration of a human brain. There was a small black circle on the front of the brain, and next to the circle 'chakra?' was scribbled. "All three autopsies so far have shown damaged brain tissue here."

"Let me see," Lin asked. She held out one hand and Iroh put the page in it, allowing Lin to see the illustration. "So that's how Amon took bending away. He bent the very brains of benders."

"That's actually kind of clever," Boshi said, taking back the page and putting it back on the clipboard. "And if damaging that part of the brain takes away bending, in theory repairing it should restore bending."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Lin asked. "Get the best healers on this."

"It's harder than it sounds to repair a brain, even with waterbending," Boshi said. "Not only is it an unexplored field of medicine, but one wrong move by a healer could kill the patient."

That reminded Lin of the bodies she saw in that factory. "Oh," she muttered, understanding the danger of tampering with vital organs.

"One question remains," Boshi said. "You're the only one that's survived and regained consciousness. Do you have any idea why?"

"I'm not sure," Lin admitted. She rubbed her head, trying to think about what Magnus did to her and the others. "But I think Magnus was trying to perfect his version of Amon's technique."

"Maybe he's trying to reverse it," Iroh suggested. "That would explain why he arranged kidnappings of Amon's victims."

Lin reached towards a metal lamp in the room and clenched her hand into a fist, but the metal didn't respond to the bending motion. "Well if he was, it didn't work."

"You're still recovering," Boshi assured. "After a few days of rest I'd like to run a few tests, just in case your condition changes."

"Fine," Lin said. "Please, just don't do anything too strange doctor."

"Strange is kind of hard to avoid these days," Boshi said.

"Tell me about it," Iroh complained. "I really don't want to see what comes after a guy that bends magnetism."

"Whatever happened to him anyway?" Lin asked.

Iroh shrugged. "I shot him through a wall with lightning, but the cops didn't find his corpse."

* * *

On the other side of the city Pema was tending her garden on Air Temple Island, enjoying the early morning peace and quiet when all four of her children were still asleep. It would not last long, not before the hectic day of a mother began. Pema considered herself fortunate that she could even have such days, especially after surviving imprisonment by the Equalists without a scratch on her.

While watering some flowers Pema noticed something in the corner of her eye, a shadow passing over the roof of her home. "What the?" she muttered, looking for what made the shadow. When she couldn't find it Pema shrugged and went back to watering the flowers. "It was probably nothing."

High above the island, floating in a magnetic field, was Magnus. His hands were twitching uncontrollably, still recovering from Iroh's lightning attack. Anyone else would have been killed by it, but the power at his command allowed Magnus to divert most of the electricity along magnetic field lines. Some electricity had still hit and harmed Magnus, causing enough internal damage to make him decide to lay low and recover for a while. The only thing keeping him from fading into anonymity already was this stop over Air Temple Island, checking in on someone he'd left there a long time ago.

"Stay safe Pema," Magnus said, even though she could not hear him. He remembered ensuring that none of the Equalists harmed her or her newborn child, through force when necessary. And Magnus was certain that his experiments would ensure her safety, once he'd perfected a reversal of Amon's technique.

The power to take away bending had gripped the city in fear. The power to give away bending could control the city through will. Whoever possessed that power could reshape the world, and Magnus knew that it had to be him. Only through control could Magnus guarantee the safety of those he cared for, as well as the next generation of people like himself. Though they were very few in number right now, those with power beyond bending would one day populate the Earth.

After one last look at the island below, Magnus turned and drifted towards the rising sun. "Someday, this world will belong to mutants."


End file.
